Chapter 19 - Writing My Own RulesThe storm cleared by midnight, leaving behind a sky of brilliant, needle-sharp stars and a crescent moon that cast a silvery glow across the restless ocean.
I walked back inside, leaving the terrace doors unlocked to let in the clean, salt-heavy air.
I walked upstairs to the mahogany writing desk in the master suite, where my fresh, leather-bound journal lay open under the amber light of a brass desk lamp.
I picked up my pen. The pages behind me were filled with the history of what I had survived—the corporate shark tanks, the engineered betrayal, the fraudulent loans, and the triumphant dismantling of an entire cartel of white-collar parasites.
But the pages ahead were completely blank.
I pressed the gold nib against the crisp paper and began to write the introduction to a brand-new chapter:
“Rule Number One: Never let anyone write the rules of your life for you.
Rule Number Two: If someone tries to fence in your sanctuary, burn down their gate.
May you like
Rule Number Three: Always own the deed, the keys, and the horizon.”
I smiled, capping the pen with a satisfying click.
