Chapter 3 - A SECRET IN THE MEDICAL RECORDS
Claire remained in the hospital for six days.
The doctors said her condition was improving.
But every improvement was followed by another mystery.
The toxin had disappeared from her bloodstream faster than expected.
Dr. Bennett couldn't explain why.
“Her body is processing it unusually well,” he told me.
“Is that good?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do you look worried?”
He sighed.
“Because we still don't know what caused the exposure.”
I understood.
Someone had attempted to kill my wife.
And they had failed.
That meant they might try again.
I moved Claire to a private floor.
No visitors.
No exceptions.
Even my parents were restricted.
Vanessa reacted badly.
“She needs her friends,” she said.
“She needs security.”
“She needs emotional support.”
“She needs to stay alive.”
Vanessa went silent.
I watched her carefully.
Then she smiled.
“You've changed.”
“No.”
I looked directly into her eyes.
“I've finally started paying attention.”
Her smile disappeared.
That evening, Daniel found Ethan Ward.
He wasn't hiding.
He was living in a motel outside Baltimore.
When my security team questioned him, he refused to speak.
So I went myself.
Ethan looked exhausted.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“Why were you meeting Vanessa?”
He laughed bitterly.
“You think Vanessa poisoned your wife?”
“Did she?”
He looked away.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I know what she wanted.”
“What?”
Ethan rubbed his face.
“Access to your company.”
I stared at him.
“What does Vanessa have to do with Sloane Infrastructure?”
“Everything.”
He handed me a flash drive.
“She wasn't interested in Claire's marriage.”
My fingers tightened around it.
“She was interested in what Claire inherited.”
I frowned.
“Claire didn't inherit anything significant.”
Ethan shook his head.
“You don't know.”
He stood.
“Your wife has a trust.”
“What trust?”
“Her grandmother created it.”
I stared at him.
“That's impossible.”
“Ask Claire.”
I returned to the hospital.
Claire was awake.
I sat beside her.
“Did your grandmother leave you a trust?”
She stared at me.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she whispered:
“Yes.”
My chest tightened.
“How much?”
“I don't know.”
“Claire.”
She looked toward the window.
“My grandmother owned a pharmaceutical company.”
I knew the company.
Vale Therapeutics.
One of the largest private pharmaceutical firms in the Southeast.
“They sold it years ago.”
“My grandmother didn't sell everything.”
She reached into the drawer.
She pulled out an old envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
“My grandmother told me never to open it unless someone tried to take my children from me.”
I read the letter.
My hands became cold.
It explained that Claire's grandmother had established a private trust containing controlling shares in several companies.
But there was a condition.
The shares would transfer to Claire only after the birth of her first child.
Not children.
Child.
The moment Claire gave birth, the trust became active.
And because she had given birth to triplets, her voting rights had become significantly more powerful.
Vanessa had known.
Someone had told her.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Claire looked ashamed.
“Because I didn't think it mattered.”
“It matters.”
She nodded.
“I was scared.”
“Of what?”
She looked at me.
“Of people who knew about it.”
Then she whispered:
“Vanessa knew.”
The room went silent.
“Why?”
“She asked me about my grandmother's estate six months ago.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I didn't know much.”
Claire swallowed.
“She didn't believe me.”
I stood.
“Claire, did Vanessa ever threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did she ever ask you to sign anything?”
Claire hesitated.
“Yes.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“A beneficiary update.”
I stared at her.
“Did you sign it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it was written strangely.”
I exhaled.
“What did it say?”
Claire looked terrified.
“It would have transferred control of my grandmother's trust to someone else if I died.”
I stared at her.
The pieces finally began connecting.
The poison.
The missing security footage.
Vanessa's secret meetings.
The trust.
And the birth of my children.
Someone wasn't simply trying to kill Claire.
They were trying to make sure she died after giving birth.
Because that was the moment the trust became valuable.
I called Daniel.
“Find every person who knew about Claire's inheritance.”
“There may be dozens.”
“Then start with the people closest to her.”
Daniel paused.
“Sir?”
“Yes?”
“There is one problem.”
“What?”
“We found a second beneficiary document.”
“Whose name is on it?”
He hesitated.
“Vanessa Vale.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Bring me everything.”
The game had changed.
May you like
Now I knew what the enemy wanted.
The only question was how far they were willing to go to get it.
