Chapter 6: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
The woman standing outside Nathan’s hospital room looked nothing like Claire expected.
She expected someone dangerous.
Someone cold.
Someone who would fit into the nightmare her life had become.
Instead, Lena looked exhausted.
Early thirties.
Dark hair pulled into a messy ponytail.
A face that looked like it had spent too many nights awake.
She held a folder against her chest.
Nathan stared at her.
“Why are you here?””
Lena looked at him.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because I thought I failed.””
Claire stepped between them.
“Who are you?””
Lena looked at her.
“I’m Lena Brooks.””
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Claire.””
“No.””
She looked at her husband.
“No more secrets.””
Nathan said nothing.
So Lena answered.
“I worked with your husband.””
“Where?””
“Harper Financial.””
Claire laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because she was exhausted.
“Of course.””
Lena looked down.
“I was the accountant who discovered the missing money.””
Nathan looked at her.
“Don’t.””
Claire turned.
“What?””
Nathan looked at Lena.
“You promised you wouldn’t come here.””
“I promised I would keep you alive.””
Claire froze.
“What does that mean?””
Lena opened the folder.
Inside were photographs.
Documents.
Records.
She placed them on the table.
“For three years, money has been disappearing from the company.””
Nathan nodded.
“My father found out.””
“And he tried to stop it,” Lena said.
Claire looked at Nathan.
“Your father?””
Nathan nodded.
“Before he died.””
Lena continued.
“Your father was going to expose your mother and Daniel.””
Margaret’s words echoed in Claire’s mind.
Your father was going to destroy this family.
But she had never said why.
Claire looked at Lena.
“So Nathan found out?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Two months ago.””
Claire turned to her husband.
“Two months?””
Nathan looked ashamed.
“I was trying to build a case.””
“Without me?””
“I wanted to keep you safe.””
Claire laughed bitterly.
“Safe?””
She pointed toward the hospital room.
“I woke up this morning thinking I was a widow.””
Nathan looked away.
Lena quietly said:
“He wasn’t hiding from you.””
Claire looked at her.
“He was hiding for you.””
That hurt more.
Because part of her believed it.
Detective Collins picked up the documents.
“These are serious allegations.””
“They’re more than allegations,” Lena said.
She pulled out a small flash drive.
“Everything is here.””
Nathan stared at it.
“Where did you get that?””
“Your father hid it.””
Claire looked confused.
“Your father?””
Lena nodded.
“He knew someone would come after him.””
A silence filled the room.
Then Nathan whispered:
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Lena looked at him.
“Because the night I tried to contact you, Daniel followed me.””
Claire felt cold.
“Daniel?””
Lena nodded.
“He knew I had evidence.””
Nathan’s face changed.
“Where is he now?””
Nobody answered.
Then Detective Collins looked toward the hallway.
Too late.
Claire noticed.
The detective had received a message.
His expression changed.
“What happened?””
He looked at Nathan.
“Your brother left the hospital ten minutes ago.””
Nathan’s face went pale.
“Why?””
The detective hesitated.
“Because security found this in the parking lot.””
He handed Claire a small plastic bag.
Inside was a broken phone.
Nathan recognized it immediately.
“That’s Daniel’s.””
Detective Collins nodded.
“And there was a message on it.””
Claire looked at the screen.
One sentence.
One name.
Hers.
*Claire knows the truth now. Deal with her before Nathan wakes up.*
The room went silent.
Claire slowly looked at Nathan.
Her husband was alive.
But someone had planned his death.
And now someone had decided hers should come next.
Then her phone rang.
The caller ID appeared.
A number she knew.
Their home phone.
Claire answered slowly.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a child’s voice whispered through the line.
“Mommy…”
Claire’s heart stopped.
It was Ellie.
“Ellie?””
A strange sound came from the other end.
Then her daughter cried:
“Mommy, I’m scared.””
Claire stood instantly.
“Where are you?””
A man’s voice answered.
A voice she recognized.
Daniel.
May you like
“You should have listened when I told you to stop digging.””
The line went dead.
