Chapter 10 - The Best Thing on the Plate
Three days later, a gentle autumn sun broke through the clouds over the hillside cemetery in Scranton.
Daisy was laid to rest beneath an ancient white oak tree, surrounded by thousands of fresh white roses and lilacs.
My parents stood quietly in the background with bowed heads, having pledged fifty million dollars to establish the Daisy Bell Children's Foundation.
Annie stood beside me, wearing a warm cashmere coat and new red leather boots that kept her little feet dry.
She held my hand tightly with both of hers, looking down at the carved granite headstone that read: Daisy Bell - Beloved Mother, Unbroken Spirit.
In her small pocket, Annie carried the gold Thorne family crest ring, polished until it gleamed like a bright morning star.
"Is Mommy happy now, Daddy?" Annie asked, her sweet little voice carrying across the quiet hillside.
"She's resting peacefully, sweetheart," I replied, kneeling down on the grass to wrap my arms around her small shoulders.
"And she's watching over us every single second."
Annie reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small, foil-wrapped chocolate egg she had saved from breakfast.
She peeled back the gold foil and carefully placed the chocolate into my open palm, smiling up at me with her mother’s beautiful brown eyes.
"For you, Daddy," she whispered. "Because you're the best one."
I looked at the chocolate, then looked at the little girl who had walked through hunger, cold, and cruelty to bring truth back to my life.
I took a bite, tasting the sweetest gift the world had ever given me, and lifted my daughter high into my arms against the morning sky.
The Thorne Group had a new future, and my family had learned the hard lesson of what true nobility meant.
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I didn't care about the boardrooms, the billions, or the cold stone estates in Manhattan.
All that mattered was the little girl resting her head against my shoulder, safe, cherished, and finally, unconditionally home.
