I sit there, holding the remnants of a broken dream. A love sacrificed on the altar of family legacy.
The irony isn’t lost on me. I found these fragments while trying to escape my own pain.
And the parallel? It’s almost laughable.
Or maybe fate just has a twisted sense of humor.
I carefully place everything back in the box. These pieces of the past deserve more than to be forgotten again. They deserve to be understood.
My mind feels clearer than it has in days.
Keira needs to see this. She’ll understand—not just the history, but what it means.
Then the reality hits.
We’re not speaking anymore.
She ended things.
The thought drags me back under as I crawl out of the tunnel, covered in dust and cobwebs—but carrying a treasure untouched for over a century.
Back in my office,after making myself somewhat presentable again, I examine the contents more closely.
One document is half a map—showing the McKenzie estate, with a line drawn from the distillery to a marked point near the McGregor border.
The other is a partial recipe—ratios of barley and water, but missing key elements. The rest must be with Elspeth’s half.
A knock interrupts me.
My mother steps in, her expression tight with concern.
— Alistair, she says. Martha called me. She’s worried about you.
— Martha should mind her own business, I reply more sharply than I intend.
— She is. And you’re part of it—whether you like it or not.
She steps closer, her gaze falling on the items spread across my desk. Her eyes widen slightly.
— Where did you find this?
— In the underground passage connecting our property to the McGregors’. Why? Do you know what it is?
She picks up the journal gently, opening it.
A sad smile touches her lips.
— So it’s true, she murmurs.
— You knew? About the passage? About Archibald and Elspeth?
She nods, sitting down across from me.
— Of course. It’s part of our family history. Even if your father prefers to ignore it. Archibald was your grandfather’s great-uncle.
— Then why has no one ever talked about it?
— Because it’s a story of failure. Of pride winning over love and reason. Not exactly something the McKenzies like to celebrate.
