Chapter 7 - CLAIRE'S CONFESSION
Claire sat across from the man pretending to be Richard Bennett.
He smiled.
“You've been difficult.”
She looked at him.
“You're not Richard.”
His smile disappeared.
“You know that?”
“Yes.”
“Who am I?”
“Your face may fool Julian.”
“But?”
“Your voice doesn't.”
The man stood.
“You were always observant.”
Claire's heart pounded.
“Where is Richard?”
“Dead.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
“Who killed him?”
He smiled.
“You did.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
“You signed the confession.”
“I signed nothing.”
“You will.”
He placed a document on the table.
Claire looked at it.
Her name.
Her signature.
A confession that she had poisoned Richard Bennett.
She laughed.
“You forged this.”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“To destroy Julian.”
“Why?”
“Because Julian's inheritance is the final obstacle.”
Claire stared at him.
“What inheritance?”
He smiled.
“The Bennett empire.”
Meanwhile, I stood outside the property with Victor and Daniel.
Police were finally on their way.
But I couldn't wait.
I entered through the basement.
We found Claire first.
She was sitting alone.
The twins were gone.
“Claire!”
She jumped.
“Julian!”
I ran to her.
“Where are the boys?”
“Upstairs.”
I untied her.
She grabbed my face.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“I always come.”
She began crying.
“I am so sorry.”
“For what?”
“For everything.”
I pulled her into my arms.
For five years, I had imagined what it would feel like to hold her again.
I had imagined anger.
Revenge.
Questions.
Instead, I only felt grief.
“What happened?”
She whispered,
“Your father told me if I didn't disappear, he would take the children.”
“I would have protected you.”
“I didn't know that.”
“You should have trusted me.”
“I tried.”
I pulled back.
“Then why did you leave?”
She looked at me.
“Because your father showed me a video.”
“What video?”
“You.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“You were talking to another woman.”
I frowned.
“I never cheated.”
“I know that now.”
“Who was she?”
“Your father had edited the footage.”
I closed my eyes.
He had manufactured evidence.
He had manufactured my divorce.
He had manufactured my entire life.
Claire whispered,
“I believed you didn't love me anymore.”
“I never stopped.”
She began sobbing.
I held her again.
Then a scream came from upstairs.
“Noah!”
We ran.
The room was empty.
Eli was gone too.
Only one thing remained.
A small red toy car.
Noah's favorite.
And beneath it, a note.
COME TO THE CHURCH.
Victor picked it up.
“Which church?”
Claire whispered,
“The church where we got married.”
I looked at her.
She nodded.
“Your father knew.”
We rushed outside.
But before we reached the car, headlights appeared.
Three black SUVs surrounded us.
Doors opened.
Men stepped out.
Victor reached for a weapon.
A voice shouted,
“Drop it.”
Then the center SUV door opened.
A woman stepped out.
Evelyn Bennett.
My stepmother.
She smiled.
“Hello, Julian.”
I stared at her.
“You kidnapped my sons.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Claire.
“She did.”
Claire went pale.
“What?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Ask her what she did five years ago.”
I turned toward Claire.
“Claire?”
She was trembling.
Evelyn continued.
“Ask your wife what happened the night she left Seattle.”
Claire whispered,
“I had no choice.”
“What did you do?”
She looked at me.
“I stole something from your father.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
Evelyn smiled.
“The ledger that could destroy the Bennett family.”
I stared at Claire.
“Where is it?”
Claire's eyes filled with tears.
“I burned it.”
Evelyn laughed.
“No.”
She looked at me.
“She didn't.”
I felt a cold sensation in my stomach.
“Then where is it?”
Evelyn pointed at Claire.
“She hid it inside your house.”
My old house.
The one I had sold after the divorce.
The house I hadn't entered in five years.
Evelyn smiled.
“Your father has been searching for it ever since.”
May you like
Then she leaned closer.
“And now he knows exactly where it is.”
