Chapter 20 - THE NEW RULEAs the golden afternoon light streamed through the glass roof, Alejandro took Emma by the hand, walking her toward the center of the garden where a large bronze plaque was mounted on a stone wall.
On the plaque, engraved in bold, elegant letters, were the words:
THE BLACKWOOD RULE: No one in this house shall ever be forced to hide in the dark. Innocence is protected. Courage is honored. Family is forever.
Emma pointed her little finger at the words, trying to read them. "What does it say, Uncle Alejandro?"
Alejandro picked her up, setting her comfortably on his shoulder as Elena walked over to join them, wrapping her arm through her brother's.
"It says," Alejandro murmured gently, looking at his family, "that you don't have to stay under the basement anymore, Emma. You never have to be afraid of anything in this house."
Emma giggled, hugging Alejandro’s head, her pink thỏ backpack resting against his shoulder.
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"I'm not afraid," Emma whispered proudly. "Because I have you and Mama."
Alejandro looked out over the sunlit gardens of the estate that once brought him only cold loneliness. The dark shadows of Blackwood Estate had finally dissolved, replaced by a warmth that no storm could ever extinguish.
