Chapter 4 - Caroline’s Last WarningEdward reached the front doors seconds too late.
He did not wait for someone to take his coat.
He did not ask permission before walking into the central hall.
He merely handed his gloves to a startled maid and looked around with mild amusement.
“Still looks like a museum,” he said.
Edward stood at the foot of the staircase.
Claire watched from several yards away with Emma and Lily beside her.
Daniel was five years younger than Edward, but where Edward’s presence was severe, Daniel’s was warm on the surface.
He had an easy smile.
Expensive shoes.
Perfect silver at his temples.
The sort of man strangers trusted immediately.
That, Claire thought, made him dangerous.
Daniel opened his arms.
“Brother.”
Edward did not move.
“You said tomorrow.”
“I caught an earlier flight.”
“Why?”
“Must there be a conspiracy behind every family visit?”
Emma squeezed Claire’s hand.
Daniel noticed.
His smile widened.
“There are my girls.”
He stepped toward them.
Neither child moved.
That was enough for Claire.
Children knew things adults talked themselves out of noticing.
Daniel crouched.
“Come give Uncle Daniel a hug.”
Lily hid behind Claire.
Emma stared at him.
“No.”
Daniel laughed softly.
“That’s new.”
Edward’s voice was flat.
“Leave them alone.”
Daniel stood.
Then he noticed Claire.
“And you must be the famous nanny.”
“Claire Bennett.”
“I’ve heard wonderful things.”
“From whom?”
His smile flickered.
Edward stepped between them.
“Why are you here?”
Daniel sighed theatrically.
“Fine. Straight to business.”
He reached into his coat and removed an envelope.
“The board meets Monday. There are concerns.”
“About what?”
“You.”
Edward gave a cold laugh.
“My company increased earnings nineteen percent last quarter.”
“Your company?”
Daniel’s expression sharpened.
“Our family company.”
“You own eight percent.”
“Our father intended—”
“Our father intended many things he never put in writing.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Claire saw it then.
A crack beneath the charm.
He handed Edward the envelope.
“Three board members believe your judgment has become unreliable.”
“Because?”
“Because you have spent three years behaving like a widower instead of a CEO.”
Edward tore open the envelope.
Claire watched his eyes move across the page.
“What is this?”
“A petition for an emergency competency review.”
Edward actually laughed.
“You’re trying to remove me.”
“I’m trying to protect the company.”
“From me?”
“From grief.”
The word hung between them.
Emma’s grip tightened around Claire’s hand.
Claire crouched.
“Girls, why don’t you go help Mrs. Alvarez in the kitchen?”
Emma shook her head.
“I want to stay.”
“This is grown-up business.”
“Daddy always says that when something bad is happening.”
Edward’s face shifted.
He knelt.
“Nothing bad is happening.”
Emma looked directly at him.
“Are you lying?”
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Finally he said, “I don’t know yet.”
It was the first honest answer Claire had heard him give his daughter.
Emma considered this.
Then nodded.
“Okay.”
She took Lily’s hand.
“We’ll go.”
Before leaving, Lily held out the crushed yellow flower.
“For you.”
Edward stared at it.
Lily waited.
Claire could almost see the old instinct in him—the awkward refusal, the retreat into work.
Instead, he took the flower.
“Thank you.”
Lily smiled.
Edward looked startled by how much that smile affected him.
Then the girls left.
Daniel watched the entire exchange.
“How touching.”
Edward stood.
“Study.”
The brothers disappeared behind the heavy oak doors.
Claire started toward the kitchen.
Then she heard Daniel’s voice rise.
“You have no idea what Caroline was planning!”
Claire stopped.
A second later, Edward shouted.
“Don’t say her name.”
Claire knew she should walk away.
Instead she remained in the hallway.
Daniel spoke more quietly now.
“You think I don’t know about the letter?”
Silence.
Then Edward.
“You took it.”
Daniel laughed.
“So it exists.”
The study doors opened suddenly.
Claire stepped away too late.
Edward saw her.
So did Daniel.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Daniel smiled.
“Eavesdropping, Miss Bennett?”
“Standing in my employer’s hallway.”
“Your employer?”
Daniel glanced at Edward.
“I heard you were dismissed this morning.”
Claire looked at him sharply.
“How could you know that?”
Edward’s face changed instantly.
Daniel realized his mistake.
He tried to recover.
“Staff gossip travels.”
“You arrived from London,” Claire said. “You’ve been inside the house for seven minutes.”
Daniel smiled again, but there was no warmth left in it.
“Perhaps I have excellent sources.”
Edward walked toward him.
“Who told you?”
Daniel straightened his cuffs.
“Does it matter?”
“It matters very much.”
Before Edward could press him, Mrs. Alvarez came from the back hallway carrying a phone.
“Sir.”
Edward turned.
“It’s the security office.”
He took the phone.
“What happened?”
Claire watched his expression.
“Where?”
A pause.
“When?”
Another pause.
Edward slowly looked at Daniel.
“Send me the footage.”
He ended the call.
Daniel’s smile had disappeared.
“What is it?”
Edward stepped closer.
“Someone entered the west wing at two thirteen this morning.”
Claire’s skin prickled.
The west wing contained Caroline’s bedroom.
Edward continued.
“Security cameras caught a vehicle at the service entrance.”
Daniel shrugged.
“And?”
Edward held up his phone.
A still image had arrived.
Claire leaned closer.
The photograph showed a dark car near the side gate.
The driver’s door was open.
A man stood beside it.
His face was partially hidden.
But not enough.
Edward turned the phone toward Daniel.
Daniel’s own personal assistant stared back from the screen.
Claire inhaled.
Daniel said nothing.
Edward’s voice dropped.
“Would you like another chance to tell me why you’re here?”
Daniel stared at the image.
Then, remarkably, he smiled again.
“You always were slow, Edward.”
Claire felt the room change.
Edward did too.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel looked toward the hallway where the children had disappeared.
“It means Caroline was much smarter than you ever gave her credit for.”
Edward grabbed his brother’s arm.
“What did you do?”
Daniel yanked free.
“I didn’t kill your wife.”
Nobody had accused him of that.
The sentence seemed to echo through the hall.
Edward went completely still.
Claire’s heartbeat accelerated.
Daniel realized what he had said.
Too late.
Edward whispered, “Why would you say that?”
Daniel’s composure vanished.
“I’m leaving.”
Edward blocked his path.
“No.”
“Move.”
“Not until you explain.”
Daniel looked toward Claire.
For the first time, she saw genuine fear in his eyes.
Then a tiny voice came from the staircase.
“Uncle Daniel?”
Everyone turned.
Emma stood halfway down the stairs.
She held a folded piece of paper.
Daniel’s face emptied.
Emma looked at Claire.
“I found Mommy’s letter.”
Edward’s breath caught.
“Where?”
“In Lily’s dollhouse.”
Daniel took one involuntary step forward.
Edward moved faster, placing himself between his brother and his daughter.
Emma descended slowly.
“Mommy said I should keep it until I found someone brave.”
Claire felt cold.
Emma stopped in front of her.
Then held out the letter.
“She told me that before she went away.”
Edward stared at his daughter.
“You remember that?”
Emma nodded.
“You thought I was asleep.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“But I heard everything.”
Edward’s voice broke.
“Heard what?”
Emma looked at Daniel.
“I heard Mommy tell Uncle Daniel she knew what he had done.”
Daniel backed toward the door.
May you like
Edward turned.
But by the time he moved, Daniel was already running.
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