Chapter 7: The Last Threat
Naomi took the ultrasound with shaking fingers.
“This is from my pregnancy with Lily.
Claire visited me after the scan.”
Claire’s mouth opened.
No words came.
Naomi pointed to a faint mark in the corner.
“My daughter drew that line when she found it in my desk.”
Daniel handed the image back.
“You used your sister’s pregnancy?”
“I panicked,” Claire whispered.
“You lied about a child to keep me from leaving.”
“I was trying to save us.”
“There is no ‘us.’ The wedding is over.”
Claire’s face hardened.
“Then you will lose everything with me.”
She snatched the blue folder from Marissa and ran toward the stone path.
Peter caught the edge, but several pages tore free.
“Move!” Claire shouted.
Richard blocked the gate.
“The county examiner has already frozen the false transfer.”
Claire pulled a lighter from her handbag and held it beneath the pages.
Eleanor lifted her phone.
“The originals are with Rebecca.”
Claire’s hand paused.
Rebecca closed the legal case.
“And the audio, messages, and filing records have been copied to three secure locations.”
Claire let the flame go out.
“You think this makes you innocent, Eleanor?
You paid someone to investigate me.
You called me names.
You pushed your son until he chose me out of spite.”
Eleanor faced Daniel.
“She is right about that part.”
“Don’t help her,” Richard said.
“I’m not helping her.
I’m telling my son the truth.” Eleanor removed the ruined cream jacket and laid it over a chair.
“I distrusted Claire before I had evidence.
I used fear instead of honesty.
Daniel paid for that.”
Daniel’s eyes shone.
“Why couldn’t you just say you were scared of losing me?”
“Because pride sounded stronger.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“Touching.
But the house still has a loan against it.”
Rebecca spun toward her.
“What loan?”
Claire lifted her phone.
“A bridge loan for six hundred thousand dollars.
Martin Voss filed it yesterday using Richard’s copied signature.
It closes at nine tomorrow morning.”
Richard stepped forward.
“Cancel it.”
“Give me the metal box, the recording, and fifty thousand dollars.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You are trying to bargain after everything?”
“I am giving you a chance to protect your father.”
Eleanor moved beside her son.
“No deal.”
Claire’s eyes flashed.
“Then Richard loses the house.”
Rebecca opened her laptop on the table.
“Who is the lender?”
Claire smiled.
“You have until nine to find out.”
Two county investigators entered through the gate and approached Martin Cole.
His shoulders dropped.
“I only delivered the receipt,” he said.
“Claire paid me.”
Claire turned on him.
“You said no one could trace it!”
Daniel took a step back as the investigators separated them.
“Was any part of today real to you?”
Claire looked down at her torn dress.
“I loved the life you could give me.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“It is the only answer you’re getting.”
One investigator asked Claire to surrender her phone.
She tossed it onto the table instead.
“You cannot hold me,” she said.
“Not yet.”
Rebecca picked up the phone, but the screen locked.
A notification appeared before it went dark.
LOAN RELEASE SCHEDULED — 9:00 A.M.
Rebecca looked at Richard.
“The filing names a private lender.
We need the authorization code.”
Daniel turned toward Claire, but she was already walking toward the waiting car.
May you like
She looked back once.
“By breakfast,” she called, “Hawthorne House won’t belong to any of you.”
