Chapter 9 - THE SISTER CLAIRE NEVER KNEW
The hospital corridor was empty when Dominic’s group arrived.
Too empty.
A nurse lay unconscious beside the service elevator.
Marcus checked her pulse.
“Alive.”
Judge Reed held up her federal credentials while security scrambled to lock down the building.
Claire ran toward Victoria’s room.
Dominic stayed beside her.
The door stood open.
Bed empty.
IV line cut.
Blood dotted the floor.
“No.”
Marcus examined the marks.
“She was moved.”
“Where?”
A voice came through the intercom.
“Parking level C.”
Dominic froze.
Raymond Cole.
“You want Victoria alive, come alone.”
Claire looked at Dominic.
“No.”
“He wants me.”
“He wants all of us.”
The intercom clicked again.
“And Claire?”
Her blood chilled.
“Bring the ledger.”
Dominic looked at Judge Reed.
She already understood.
“We stall him. Federal tactical team is eight minutes out.”
“Too long.”
Claire was moving.
Dominic grabbed her arm.
“You are not walking into that garage.”
“My sister is down there.”
The word felt strange.
Sister.
Victoria Langley.
The woman who had humiliated her.
The woman who had also been stolen from Elizabeth as an infant.
Raised by Malcolm’s network.
Turned into a weapon without knowing why.
Claire did not forgive her.
Not yet.
Maybe not for a long time.
But she would not let Raymond kill her.
Dominic saw the decision.
“Then we go together.”
Parking level C smelled of concrete and gasoline.
Raymond stood beside an unmarked police SUV.
Victoria sat in a wheelchair.
Pale.
Hospital gown beneath a coat.
Her wounded shoulder bandaged.
A gun rested against her ribs.
“You came,” Victoria whispered.
Claire looked at her.
“You sound surprised.”
“I was awful to you.”
“Yes.”
Victoria almost smiled.
“Still direct.”
Raymond pushed the gun closer.
“Ledger.”
Dominic held up a leather folder.
“You let both women walk to me.”
“One.”
“Both.”
Raymond laughed.
“You’re in no position.”
Dominic looked around.
“Neither are you.”
Raymond’s smile faded.
“You think federal agents will save you?”
“No.”
Dominic gestured toward the ceiling.
“I think your own body camera might bury you.”
Raymond glanced down instinctively.
He wasn’t wearing one.
Dominic smiled.
“Made you look.”
Claire nearly laughed despite herself.
Raymond’s face hardened.
“You always were arrogant.”
“You knew me as a child?”
“I knew your mother.”
Dominic became still.
“Catherine?”
“She was smarter than Arthur.”
“You killed her?”
“No.”
“Did you cause her death?”
Raymond hesitated.
That was enough.
Dominic saw it.
“My mother’s aneurysm.”
“Was natural.”
“But?”
Raymond smiled.
“She had planned to meet federal investigators the next morning.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
Claire realized he had just been handed another mystery.
But Raymond continued.
“Catherine’s death saved me the trouble.”
“So you didn’t kill her.”
“No.”
“Elizabeth’s crash?”
“I paid the mechanic.”
Claire’s breath caught.
Raymond looked at her.
“Your mother became inconvenient.”
“You stole Victoria.”
“Yes.”
Victoria shut her eyes.
“You gave me to Malcolm.”
“To Eleanor and Malcolm. Eleanor couldn’t have children. Malcolm wanted leverage.”
Elizabeth’s two daughters had been divided between enemies and allies.
One raised with little money but love.
One raised with wealth and manipulation.
Claire looked at Victoria.
Victoria looked back.
Something passed between them.
Not forgiveness.
Recognition.
Raymond noticed.
“Touching.”
Claire said, “Why keep her alive?”
“Because Elizabeth controlled the foundation. I needed a second biological claimant if Claire ever disappeared.”
Victoria whispered, “I was your backup plan.”
“You were useful.”
Something broke in her expression.
Then reformed stronger.
Claire knew that feeling.
Dominic raised the folder.
“Let her go.”
Raymond moved the gun toward Claire.
“Bring it here.”
Claire walked.
Dominic caught her wrist.
She looked at him.
Trust me.
He slowly released her.
Claire approached Raymond.
Ten feet.
Eight.
Six.
She held out the folder.
Raymond grabbed it with one hand.
Claire grabbed Victoria’s wheelchair with the other and pulled.
Raymond fired.
The shot echoed.
Dominic hit Claire from the side, driving her down.
Marcus emerged from behind a concrete pillar.
Federal agents flooded the ramp.
Raymond tried to run.
Victoria stuck out one foot.
Weakly.
Barely.
But enough.
Raymond stumbled over the wheelchair footrest.
Marcus tackled him.
The gun slid away.
Claire looked at Dominic.
“Are you hit?”
“No.”
She checked herself.
Nothing.
Then saw blood.
Dominic’s arm.
A bullet had grazed his upper bicep.
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“Of course you have.”
He looked at her.
“You’re okay?”
“Yes.”
They both laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because they were alive.
Raymond Cole was arrested.
Not by Philadelphia police.
By federal agents under Judge Reed’s authority.
Within forty-eight hours, the ledger produced warrants across three states.
Officials resigned.
Two judges were suspended.
Five police officers were arrested.
Malcolm Wren accepted a plea negotiation in exchange for corroborating thirty years of financial crimes.
It would not spare him prison.
Victoria faced charges too.
Fraud conspiracy.
Evidence tampering.
Attempted framing.
But her cooperation, the shooting, her role in preserving the ledger, and evidence that Malcolm had manipulated her from childhood changed the prosecution’s approach.
Claire visited her in the hospital three days later.
Victoria looked terrible.
No makeup.
Hair unwashed.
Hospital gown.
For once, no armor.
Claire placed a coffee on the table.
Victoria stared.
“You brought me coffee?”
“You’re not allowed champagne.”
Victoria almost smiled.
Then silence.
Finally, she said, “I remember the first day you worked at the estate.”
Claire sat.
“So do I.”
“I hated you immediately.”
“I noticed.”
“I never understood why.”
Claire did.
“Maybe something recognized something.”
Victoria looked at her.
“Is that supposed to be comforting?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Silence again.
Victoria stared out the window.
“I’m sorry.”
Claire waited.
Victoria’s eyes filled.
“For the dress.”
Claire said nothing.
“For every comment.”
Still nothing.
“For making you feel small because I needed everybody else to feel smaller than me.”
Claire swallowed.
Victoria continued.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I probably wouldn’t either.”
Claire looked at her.
“I don’t forgive you.”
Victoria nodded.
“But,” Claire continued, “I don’t want to hate you forever.”
Victoria cried then.
Quietly.
Claire did not hug her.
Not yet.
But she stayed.
An hour later, Dominic waited outside the hospital.
His arm was bandaged beneath his suit.
Claire approached.
“How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough.”
“You heard?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
He smiled slightly.
“Maybe.”
Claire stopped in front of him.
“What happens now?”
“With Victoria?”
“With everything.”
“The stolen assets return to the foundation. Your ownership is recognized. Raymond goes to trial. Malcolm spends whatever remains of his life answering questions.”
“And you?”
Dominic looked at her.
“I end my engagement.”
Claire raised an eyebrow.
“You think?”
“It seemed appropriate.”
She laughed.
Then became serious.
“You almost married her.”
“Yes.”
“Did you love her?”
Dominic thought before answering.
“No.”
Claire appreciated that.
“Why marry her?”
“Because families like mine confuse alliances with relationships.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m done confusing them.”
His eyes stayed on hers.
Claire’s heartbeat changed.
“Dominic.”
“I know.”
“Know what?”
“This is a terrible time.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve discovered two parents, a twin sister and an eleven-million-dollar inheritance in seventy-two hours.”
“Yes.”
“My father returned from the dead.”
“Yes.”
“My fiancée shot your newly discovered twin’s biological father—”
“Actually Malcolm shot Victoria.”
“Right.”
Claire smiled.
“Details.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“So I’m not asking you for anything.”
“Good.”
“Except dinner.”
She blinked.
“That sounds like asking for something.”
“It’s dinner.”
“Is this how mafia bosses flirt?”
“I’m apparently bad at it.”
“Very.”
He looked almost offended.
Then his phone rang.
Marcus.
Dominic answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Claire immediately knew.
“What happened?”
Dominic listened.
Then ended the call.
“Arthur’s awake.”
“That’s good.”
“Yes.”
“But?”
Dominic looked at her.
“He asked Marcus to open the safe in his hospital room.”
Claire waited.
“Inside was another letter from your mother.”
“My mother is sitting upstairs.”
“Not Elizabeth.”
Claire frowned.
Dominic’s eyes held hers.
“Catherine.”
May you like
The letter had one sentence written on the envelope.
FOR DOMINIC AND CLAIRE—OPEN ONLY AFTER YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT VICTORIA.
