Chapter 9 - The Price of the TruthClaire did exactly what Rebecca told her not to do.
Not London.
Claire discovered that fifteen minutes after Vanessa’s arrest.
She locked herself inside the bedroom while Nathaniel stood outside.
“Claire.”
“Go away.”
“I need to explain.”
“You told me you were in London.”
“I was supposed to be.”
She opened the door.
Nathaniel stopped.
Claire’s eyes burned.
“Supposed to be?”
“My flight was canceled.”
“So you stayed in New York.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
He looked away.
Claire felt something break inside her.
“Where were you?”
“At the Westchester estate.”
Silence.
Claire stepped backward.
“You were there?”
“I arrived after Emily.”
“You watched me spend weeks trying to reconstruct that night and never told me you were there?”
“I didn’t see her.”
“How do I know that?”
“Because I’m telling you.”
“You told me you were in London!”
Nathaniel flinched.
Claire laughed bitterly.
“My sister told me not to trust anyone with the Cole name.”
“Claire—”
“She was right.”
Nathaniel stood helplessly as she grabbed a suitcase.
“Where are you going?”
“Anywhere you aren’t.”
“The reporters are outside.”
“I lived on sidewalks, Nathaniel. I know how doors work.”
He blocked nothing.
He simply watched.
“Please give me five minutes.”
Claire stopped.
“Five.”
Nathaniel took a breath.
“My grandfather asked me to come to the estate that night.”
“Why?”
“He believed I was stealing from the company.”
“You knew he suspected you?”
“Yes.”
“Another lie.”
“Yes.”
Claire’s anger sharpened.
Nathaniel continued.
“I arrived around ten fifteen. My grandfather was furious. Victor was gone. Vanessa was gone. Emily was gone.”
“What happened?”
“My grandfather accused me of laundering money through city contracts.”
“You denied it.”
“Yes.”
“He believed you?”
“Eventually.”
Nathaniel’s eyes darkened.
“He said Emily had brought evidence proving Victor was responsible.”
Claire gripped the suitcase.
“Then why didn’t you tell police?”
“Because twenty minutes later, my grandfather received a call.”
“From whom?”
“Vanessa.”
Claire went still.
“What did she say?”
“I don’t know. Grandfather answered privately.”
Nathaniel swallowed.
“Afterward, he told me Emily had been in an accident.”
Claire’s face drained.
“He knew before police contacted anyone?”
“Yes.”
That was significant.
Very significant.
“What did you do?”
“I drove toward the crash site.”
“Did you see Emily?”
“No.”
“Did you see Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
Claire froze.
Nathaniel continued.
“She was parked half a mile away.”
“Why?”
“She said she had followed Emily because Emily was distraught.”
“And you believed her?”
“For about five minutes.”
“What changed?”
“I noticed damage on Vanessa’s SUV.”
Claire’s breath caught.
“Where?”
“Front bumper.”
The police report had said investigators found unexplained damage on Emily’s rear bumper.
Claire whispered, “She hit her.”
“I suspected it.”
“Then why didn’t you tell the police?”
Nathaniel closed his eyes.
“Because Vanessa started crying.”
Claire stared at him in disbelief.
“She said Emily had swerved suddenly. She claimed they made contact accidentally and Emily kept driving.”
“And you protected her.”
“Yes.”
Claire slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room.
Nathaniel didn’t move.
Claire’s hand shook.
“My sister died.”
“I know.”
“You knew Vanessa hit her car.”
“I knew they made contact.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I told my grandfather.”
“You said nothing to police.”
“No.”
Claire’s voice broke.
“Why?”
“Because I was a coward.”
She stared at him.
Nathaniel’s eyes were wet.
“My grandfather said he would handle it. He said if we accused Vanessa without proof, Victor would destroy the company and claim we were framing them.”
“So the company mattered more.”
“At that moment, I let myself believe it did.”
Claire picked up the suitcase.
Nathaniel moved aside.
“I don’t expect forgiveness.”
“Good.”
She left.
Claire stayed with Rebecca.
The marriage contract did not require cohabitation.
Nathaniel called once.
Claire didn’t answer.
He did not call again.
Two days later, federal prosecutors arrested Victor.
Marianne Holloway disappeared.
Investigators found her abandoned car near Newark Airport.
Victor refused to cooperate.
Vanessa requested a deal.
Then the story changed.
Vanessa admitted following Emily from the estate.
She admitted striking Emily’s car.
But she claimed the fatal crash was not intentional.
According to Vanessa, Emily had pulled over after the first collision.
They argued.
Emily threatened to expose everything.
Vanessa panicked.
She drove away.
Ten minutes later Emily crashed.
Investigators didn’t believe her.
Neither did Claire.
Then Rebecca received a call.
“I found something.”
Claire met her at the federal prosecutor’s office.
A technician had recovered Claire’s old cloud account.
Including Emily’s voicemail.
Claire stared at the audio file.
Three years.
Her sister’s final message had been sitting on a forgotten server.
Claire pressed play.
Emily’s frightened voice filled the room.
“Claire, it’s me. I’m sorry.”
Claire covered her mouth.
“I should’ve told you everything. Victor knows. Vanessa knows. I’m driving away from the estate.”
A horn sounded.
Emily gasped.
Then:
“She’s following me.”
Claire began crying.
Emily continued.
“If something happens, it wasn’t Nathaniel.”
Claire froze.
Rebecca looked at her.
The message continued.
“He tried to warn Charles. Nathaniel isn’t part of this.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Emily had trusted him.
Before Claire did.
Then Emily said:
“The real proof isn’t in the storage unit. That’s only enough to expose Victor.”
Claire leaned closer.
“The real records are hidden inside the Bennett Foundation account.”
Rebecca frowned.
Claire whispered, “What foundation?”
Emily continued.
“And Claire… Marianne is the one controlling them.”
The voicemail ended with tires screeching.
Then silence.
Federal agents immediately began investigating the Bennett Foundation.
It turned out to be a shell charity created using Emily’s surname.
And somebody had accessed it the previous morning.
From an IP address in Manhattan.
Claire looked at Rebecca.
“Marianne.”
Rebecca nodded.
“She may still be here.”
Claire’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
A woman spoke.
“Claire.”
Claire recognized the voice from Charles’s recording.
Marianne Holloway.
“I have something your sister wanted you to see.”
Claire’s blood ran cold.
“Where are you?”
Marianne laughed softly.
“Ask your husband.”
Then the call ended.
Five seconds later Claire received a photograph.
Nathaniel.
May you like
Unconscious.
Tied to a chair.
