Chapter 6 - Claire’s Name on the Money
Daniel ran upstairs.
“Claire.”
She looked up from the floor where she was helping Emma rebuild a tower of birthday blocks.
“What’s wrong?”
“Come downstairs.”
Emma sensed the tension.
“Dad?”
Daniel kissed her forehead.
“I’ll be right back.”
He asked the nanny to stay with her.
Then he took Claire into Rachel’s study.
Margaret refused to meet her eyes.
Daniel placed the company documents on the desk.
“MRC Strategic Services.”
Claire stared at them.
“What about it?”
“Ben says you own it.”
Claire’s face emptied.
Daniel felt betrayed before she even answered.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Margaret snapped, “Claire—”
“Mom, stop.”
That surprised everyone.
Claire sat down.
“I created the LLC seven years ago.”
“Why?”
“Mom told me Dad wanted part of the family money separated for tax planning.”
Their father had been alive then.
Daniel asked, “Did Dad know?”
Claire started crying.
“I thought he did.”
Margaret scoffed.
“Don’t perform.”
Claire turned on her.
“You told me it was legitimate.”
“It was.”
“Then why were you transferring money after Dad died?”
Daniel stared at his sister.
“You knew?”
“Not at first.”
Claire explained that Margaret controlled the account logins.
MRC technically belonged to Claire, but Margaret managed everything.
For years Claire believed the company was dormant.
Then Rachel contacted her.
Fourteen months ago.
Three months before Rachel died.
“She asked me why my company was billing Reed Holdings.”
Daniel’s throat tightened.
“What did you tell her?”
“That I didn’t know.”
Margaret whispered, “Claire.”
Claire ignored her.
“Rachel showed me transfers.”
“How much?”
“Almost four million.”
Daniel looked at Margaret.
The number had grown again.
Claire continued.
“I confronted Mom.”
“And?”
Claire stared at Margaret.
“She told me Dad had set it up before his death to move money away from creditors.”
Daniel shook his head.
Their father had never hidden from creditors.
His finances had been conservative to the point of obsession.
Claire knew it too.
“So why didn’t you tell me?”
Her eyes filled.
“Because Mom told me if regulators investigated, I’d be the one charged. My name was on the company.”
Margaret had not protected Claire.
She had trapped her.
Claire covered her face.
“I was terrified.”
Daniel wanted to be furious.
But he recognized the pattern.
Margaret controlled people by making them believe silence was safer than truth.
Rachel had refused.
That was why she became dangerous.
Samantha asked Claire whether Rachel left anything with her.
Claire slowly nodded.
“One thing.”
She pulled out her phone.
“Rachel sent me a scheduled email.”
Daniel stared.
“When?”
“The morning she died.”
“Why didn’t you show me?”
Claire’s voice broke.
“Because Mom knew about it before I even opened it.”
Margaret froze.
Daniel looked at his mother.
“How?”
May you like
Claire whispered:
“Because she was in Rachel’s house that morning.”
