Chapter 13 - THE RABBIT
Rachel turned away.
Daniel reached for Emma.
Adrian slammed him into the wall.
Police officers tackled Daniel.
Emma cried uncontrollably.
Rachel held her.
“You’re okay. Mommy’s here.”
Adrian looked at the stuffed rabbit.
“Rachel.”
She understood.
With shaking fingers, Rachel opened a tiny seam along the back.
Inside was a plastic memory card.
Claire had hidden it there years earlier.
Before Emma was old enough to understand.
Natalie laughed through tears.
“My sister trusted a stuffed rabbit more than this family.”
Adrian inserted the card into the laptop.
Hundreds of documents appeared.
Bank transfers.
Recorded conversations.
Emails.
Photographs.
Payments to Victor Hale.
Madison’s communications with Daniel.
Caleb’s stolen transfers.
Margaret’s cover-up.
Everything.
Then one final folder.
FOR ADRIAN.
He opened it.
A video appeared.
Claire smiled into the camera.
This recording was older.
She looked healthy.
Happy.
“Hi, love.”
Adrian’s face collapsed.
“If you’re watching this, I probably became dramatic and paranoid.”
She laughed softly.
“But if I’m right…”
Her expression changed.
“…don’t let revenge turn you into them.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Claire continued.
“Truth is enough.”
Natalie squeezed Adrian’s shoulder.
“Protect Rachel.”
Rachel looked stunned.
“Protect Emma.”
Claire smiled.
“She deserves a life where she never has to pay for the mistakes of the adults who made her.”
Madison began sobbing.
Claire continued.
“And Caleb…”
Caleb looked toward the screen.
“If he tells you the truth, give him a chance to become better than the rest of us.”
Caleb broke down.
Then Claire’s face became serious.
“There is one person I’m most afraid of.”
Everyone leaned closer.
“Daniel.”
Daniel stopped struggling.
Claire said:
“He thinks the Westwood fortune belongs to him.”
Daniel laughed quietly.
Claire continued.
“And he told me if he couldn’t inherit it…”
Adrian stared at the screen.
“…he would make sure none of Henry Westwood’s sons lived long enough to keep it.”
Adrian turned.
Daniel smiled.
Then a police officer near the doorway suddenly pulled his weapon.
Not at Daniel.
At Adrian.
Marcus shouted.
“GUN!”
The officer fired.
Adrian dropped.
Glass shattered.
Chaos erupted.
Daniel ran.
The officer tore off his badge.
Fake.
Another man planted inside security.
Daniel reached the hallway.
Adrian, bleeding from a graze along his arm, forced himself up.
“Where is he going?”
Margaret looked toward the window.
Then she understood.
“The trust documents.”
Adrian stared at her.
“What?”
“They’re in Henry’s vault.”
“And?”
Margaret whispered:
“If Daniel gets them…”
May you like
Her voice broke.
“…he can make himself the legal controlling heir before midnight.”
