Chapter 7 - The Betrayal
The next morning, Charles disappeared.
His phone was off.
His bank accounts were frozen.
His house was empty.
Claire expected panic.
Instead, she felt strangely calm.
Because she finally understood something.
Her father wasn't the mastermind.
He was a frightened man who had spent fifteen years making one bad decision after another to protect himself.
That didn't excuse him.
But it made him human.
Dominic sat across from Claire.
“You need to decide what you want.”
“My company.”
“Obviously.”
“No.”
He waited.
“I want my mother's company.”
He nodded.
“And after that?”
Claire looked out the window.
“I want the truth.”
Dominic smiled faintly.
“Good.”
“What?”
“I was hoping you'd say that.”
They began the forensic audit.
Within days, they discovered millions in hidden transfers.
But the biggest discovery came from Madison.
She arrived at the office carrying a box.
“I found this in Dad's closet.”
Claire opened it.
Inside was a stack of letters.
All from Daniel Cross.
The oldest was dated sixteen years earlier.
Claire read.
Charles, if you refuse to cooperate, Claire will learn what happened to her mother.
Her hands went cold.
The next letter was worse.
You know what happened to Edward's partner. Don't make us repeat history.
Claire looked up.
“Edward's partner?”
Madison shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Dominic read the letters.
“This is blackmail.”
Claire nodded.
Then she noticed a name.
Marcus Vale.
Dominic's father.
She looked at him.
“This is your father.”
Dominic stared at the page.
His expression became unreadable.
“He was involved.”
“Maybe.”
“Or he was being threatened too.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Either way, I need answers.”
They contacted an old investigator who had worked the original case.
His name was Samuel Reed.
He agreed to meet them.
But before he arrived, someone called Claire.
A blocked number.
“Hello?”
A man's voice answered.
“You're asking the wrong questions.”
“Who are you?”
“You should be asking why Dominic Vale wants your company.”
Claire frowned.
“What?”
“Do you really think he came to Baltimore because he cared about you?”
The line went dead.
Claire stared at Dominic.
He had heard the call.
“You don't trust me.”
“I don't know.”
He nodded.
“That is fair.”
She looked at him.
“Did you know about my mother's death before you met me?”
“Yes.”
Claire's heart dropped.
“How?”
“My father kept records.”
“You knew.”
“I knew there had been questions about the accident.”
“And you still came to dinner.”
“I came for the company.”
Claire swallowed.
“So everything was business.”
“At first.”
“At first?”
He stepped closer.
“Claire.”
She looked away.
“I can't do this.”
“Do what?”
“Believe someone again.”
Dominic didn't touch her.
“I won't ask you to.”
The words hurt more than any declaration could have.
Samuel arrived that afternoon.
He was seventy-two.
Retired.
Tired.
But sharp.
He listened as Claire explained everything.
Then he opened an old case file.
“Your mother's accident was not random.”
Claire held her breath.
“The brakes were tampered with.”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“Why wasn't that reported?”
“Because the report disappeared.”
“Who removed it?”
Samuel looked at Charles's name.
“Someone with influence.”
Claire whispered:
“My father.”
“No.”
Samuel shook his head.
“Someone above him.”
“Who?”
Samuel looked at Dominic.
“Your father.”
Dominic froze.
Claire turned toward him.
Samuel continued.
“Marcus Vale discovered the fraud.”
“Then why would he cover up the accident?”
“He didn't.”
Samuel pulled out another document.
“Marcus tried to expose them.”
“Then what happened?”
“He was killed.”
Dominic stared at the paper.
“My father was murdered?”
Samuel nodded.
“The accident was staged.”
Silence filled the room.
Claire reached for Dominic's hand.
He looked at her.
She didn't know whether it was the right thing.
She did it anyway.
His fingers closed around hers.
Samuel continued.
“Marcus had one final piece of evidence.”
“What?”
“A recording.”
“Where is it?”
Samuel looked toward the door.
“Daniel Cross has it.”
Dominic stood.
“We're going.”
Samuel grabbed his arm.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel isn't the real threat.”
“Who is?”
Samuel looked at Claire.
“The person who hired him.”
Claire's stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Samuel hesitated.
May you like
Then said:
“Your stepmother.”
