Chapter 6: The Night Marcus Nearly Won
Daniel grabbed his keys.
“You’re not going alone,” Claire said.
“I won’t put you in that building.”
“They’re destroying my name.
I’m coming.”
Vanessa moved toward them.
“Marcus trusts me enough to open the door.”
Claire’s face hardened.
“I don’t trust you.”
“You shouldn’t.
Use me anyway.”
Eleanor stayed with Lily and called the state police.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel stopped outside the company offices.
Vanessa touched his arm.
“Marcus wants you angry.
Don’t give him what he expects.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You helped create this.”
“I know.
Let me help end it.”
Inside, shredded paper covered the records-room floor.
Detective Sloan stood beside the exit while Marcus held the original trust.
“You came,” Marcus said.
“And you brought both heirs.”
Claire stepped forward.
“I am not your way out.”
“You’re exactly that.” Marcus placed a document on the desk.
“Sign away Samuel Reed’s claim, and I’ll give Daniel the files clearing his authorization code.”
Daniel read the page.
“You want Claire to surrender forty percent of the company.”
“I want what my family earned.”
“Your father took it from a baby,” Claire said.
Marcus slammed his palm down.
“My father built this company while Samuel played the generous founder.
Then you appeared with a hospital nurse and expected us to kneel.”
Vanessa kept her phone at her side.
“You told me Claire only wanted the mansion.”
“You believed what I needed you to believe.”
“You let me hurt Lily.”
Marcus smiled.
“No, Vanessa.
You did that yourself.”
Her face folded for one second.
Claire reached out and steadied her.
“Keep him talking,” Claire whispered.
Marcus pushed the pen toward Claire.
“Sign.”
Detective Sloan locked the door.
Daniel glanced at the shredder.
“Even if she signs, you cannot explain the stolen money.”
“I don’t have to.
Your digital approval is on every transfer.”
“You copied my access token.”
“And Sloan will testify that the safe contained nothing but forged records planted by Claire.”
Claire picked up the pen.
Daniel seized her wrist.
“No.”
“If I don’t, they take you too.”
“I would rather lose the company.”
“And Lily’s home?”
“Lily’s home is wherever you are.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
She let the pen fall.
Marcus snatched the trust and moved toward the shredder.
Vanessa raised her phone.
“I recorded all of it.”
Sloan rushed toward her, but Daniel stepped between them.
Claire pulled the fire alarm.
Metal doors unlocked throughout the floor.
Marcus grabbed Vanessa by the arm.
“Give me the phone, or I tell them you planned everything.”
“I’ll tell them myself.”
“You’ll go down with us.”
“Then I’ll go down telling the truth.”
State officers entered the corridor.
Sloan released the door and ran, but two officers stopped him outside the elevator.
Marcus tore the trust in half.
Claire caught one piece before it reached the shredder.
Daniel caught the other.
An officer restrained Marcus.
“You think paper makes her Samuel’s heir?” Marcus shouted.
“Ask Eleanor who Claire’s mother really was!”
Claire froze.
Marcus laughed as the officer pulled him away.
May you like
“She wasn’t Victor’s mistress,” he called.
“She was Richard’s wife.”
