Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN IN THE REFLECTION
Claire Sutton had worked for my father for eleven years.
She had attended my mother’s funeral.
She had helped structure charitable trusts in my name.
When I married Adrian, she reviewed the prenuptial agreement and told me it protected me.
Now she stood in my living room, reflected in a photograph taken outside a secret archive connected to forged documents bearing my signature.
My father held out his hand.
“Your phone.”
Claire’s expression tightened.
“Richard, listen to me.”
“You were at the Halcyon.”
“Yes.”
“With Marcus.”
“Yes.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
Vanessa looked between them.
“You know her?” she asked Adrian.
“No.”
Claire turned toward him.
“Don’t make this worse.”
That was answer enough.
My father took one slow step closer.
“How long?”
Claire inhaled.
“I was investigating irregular transfers.”
“Without telling me?”
“I didn’t know who inside Whitmore Strategic Holdings was compromised.”
My father’s face hardened.
“You suspected me?”
“I suspected everyone.”
“Then why were you meeting Adrian’s driver?”
“Because he contacted me.”
I studied her.
“Why would Marcus contact you?”
“He was afraid.”
“Of Adrian?”
Claire looked at him.
“Not only Adrian.”
The room fell silent.
My father gestured toward the photograph.
“Who took this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who sent it to Elena?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who placed the key in the divorce folder?”
“I can guess.”
Adrian spoke sharply.
“Stop talking.”
Claire turned to him.
“You lost the right to give orders when you assaulted her.”
Something in her tone suggested history between them.
Not affection.
Negotiation.
Perhaps threats.
I stepped toward Claire.
“What did Marcus show you?”
She hesitated.
My father’s voice became colder.
“Answer her.”
“He had copies of access logs from the nineteenth floor.”
“Copies of what records?”
“Trust documents. Corporate proxies. Insurance assignments.”
My stomach tightened.
“All in my name?”
“Many of them.”
“Why?”
Claire looked at the divorce folder.
“Because Elena Whitmore controls more voting authority than she knows.”
Adrian laughed.
It sounded forced.
“This is fantasy.”
My father ignored him.
“How much authority?”
Claire’s eyes remained on me.
“Enough to remove Adrian from every company he believes he owns.”
Vanessa slowly lowered herself onto the staircase.
Adrian’s face went white.
I looked at my father.
“You told me my trust was modest.”
“It was supposed to be.”
“Supposed to be?”
He sat beside me, suddenly looking older.
“Your mother made changes before she died. She believed you needed protection from people who might target you through me.”
I looked at Adrian.
The last seven years rearranged themselves in my mind.
The sudden interest in my family history.
The insistence that I sign joint investment papers.
The way he had encouraged me to remain publicly detached from his company.
Had he known from the beginning?
Claire continued.
“Marcus believed someone was creating duplicate authorization records to move Elena’s voting rights.”
“Someone?” I asked.
She swallowed.
“Someone inside your father’s organization.”
My father stared at her.
Claire reached into her briefcase.
The security officer tensed.
She slowly removed a flash drive and placed it on the coffee table.
“Marcus gave me this.”
“What’s on it?” I asked.
“I never opened it.”
Adrian moved toward the drive.
The officer blocked him again.
Claire met my eyes.
“Marcus said only you should see it.”
My phone vibrated a second time.
May you like
Another message appeared from the unknown sender.
CLAIRE OPENED IT THREE DAYS AGO.
