Chapter 58

• The antique music box, a chilling harbinger of things to come, forced a profound shift in their strategy. Their cozy Boston townhouse, once a haven, now felt like a gilded cage, every shadow a potential threat. Rowan, ever the pragmatist, knew they couldn't remain in a place where their every move was anticipated, every weakness known. He proposed a daring plan: relocation. Not just to a different house, but to a different city altogether. The vast expanse of the American landscape offered a degree of anonymity they desperately craved.
• Their escape was meticulously planned, executed under the cloak of a late-night storm, mirroring the tempest brewing within their hearts. Rowan coordinated their departure with a network of trusted contacts, securing safe houses and transportation with a level of efficiency that spoke volumes about his past life. Cleo, though terrified, found a strange sense of empowerment in the chaos. The fear, though palpable, was tempered by a fierce determination, a refusal to be a victim.
• Their new haven was a small, unassuming cottage nestled deep within the rolling hills of Vermont, far from the prying eyes of their pursuers and the suffocating proximity of Marcus’s influence. The change of scenery, though initially jarring, was surprisingly therapeutic. The stillness of the Vermont countryside, a stark contrast to the frenetic energy of Boston, allowed them to breathe, to regroup, to reassess their situation. The quiet hum of nature, the rustling of leaves, the gentle chirping of crickets replaced the constant, gnawing anxiety of their former life.