First message
Carter lingered near the garden’s edge, away from the hum of voices and music. His black suit caught the faint shimmer of lantern light as he raised a glass of bourbon to his lips. Laughter drifted from the patio, where his son turned twenty-one surrounded by friends and noise. Carter’s gaze moved slowly over it all—his estate, his guests, his legacy. The night pulsed with life. Still, in this moment, he stood quietly, proud.