Chapter 4 - What Evelyn Tried to Steal
Claire didn’t call Evelyn.
She called Daniel.
“Where’s your mother?”
“I don’t know.”
“Find her.”
“Why?”
“She was just inside Megan’s storage unit.”
Silence.
“What?”
Claire sent him the security image.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel called.
“She’s home.”
“Keep her there.”
Claire and Rebecca arrived at Evelyn’s mansion together.
Evelyn descended the staircase in the same cream coat.
Her eyes went directly to Rebecca.
“This woman has no business in my home.”
Rebecca stepped forward.
“My sister is dead.”
“And?”
Claire looked sharply at Evelyn.
“And you were inside her storage unit.”
Evelyn’s face stayed calm.
“I was retrieving family property.”
“Megan’s property was not yours.”
Evelyn ignored Claire.
Daniel entered from the study.
“Mom, what did you take?”
“Nothing important.”
Rebecca’s voice sharpened.
“The red file.”
Something flickered in Evelyn’s eyes.
Daniel noticed.
“What red file?”
Evelyn picked up her handbag.
“We’re finished.”
Claire saw the corner of a red folder inside.
“There.”
Evelyn grabbed the bag.
Daniel reached first.
“Give it to me.”
“Daniel, stop.”
The bag slipped.
Its contents scattered across the marble floor.
Lipstick.
Keys.
Papers.
The red folder.
And a small black flash drive.
Rebecca rushed toward it.
Evelyn caught her wrist.
“Don’t.”
Daniel pulled his mother away.
“What is wrong with you?”
Claire picked up the drive.
Evelyn’s composure cracked.
“You have no idea what you’re interfering with.”
Claire stared at her.
“That sentence used to scare me.”
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed.
“It should.”
They went into the study.
The drive contained dozens of audio recordings.
Rebecca clicked the oldest.
Megan’s voice filled the room.
“Mrs. Bennett, I’m recording this because you keep changing your story.”
Evelyn’s recorded voice responded.
“You’re making a mistake.”
“The paternity report isn’t real.”
Silence.
Then:
“You have a child to raise, Megan. Think very carefully about whether you want to spend the next ten years fighting people with resources you don’t have.”
Daniel slowly turned toward his mother.
Evelyn said nothing.
The recording continued.
“I just want Daniel to take another test.”
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he believes the answer he already has.”
Daniel’s breathing changed.
Claire watched his face collapse.
“Mom…”
Evelyn crossed her arms.
“You were young.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You knew?”
“I knew Megan was trouble.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Claire opened another recording.
This one was dated three years earlier.
Daniel’s own voice came from the laptop.
Claire froze.
Daniel whispered:
“Don’t.”
May you like
Claire pressed PLAY.
👉 Evelyn’s recording exposed the fake test—but Daniel’s own voice was about to prove that he had been hiding something Claire could never blame entirely on his mother.
