Chapter 7 - WHAT VICTORIA DID
Julian stared at his wife.
“You followed Claire?”
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
“I wanted to talk to her.”
“You had people following her.”
“No. I followed her myself.”
“Why?”
“Because she called you.”
Julian frowned.
“What?”
“The week before the twins were born.”
“I never got a call.”
“I know.”
His blood went cold.
“You deleted it.”
Victoria looked away.
“You deleted Claire’s message from my phone?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she needed to see you.”
“About the baby?”
Victoria nodded.
Julian laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You stole four years from me before they even started.”
“I was terrified!”
“Of what?”
“Losing you!”
“You lost me the second you did this.”
The words hit her hard.
She staggered backward.
Julian continued.
“You followed Claire to the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“Did you hit her with the car?”
“No!”
“Did your father?”
“No.”
Vale remained silent.
Julian looked at him.
“Then who?”
Victoria wiped her face.
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I swear!”
Vale finally spoke.
“The accident was real.”
Julian turned.
“Meaning?”
“Claire lost control after another vehicle forced her off the road.”
“Whose vehicle?”
“We never identified it.”
“You sealed the investigation.”
“To protect Victoria from becoming a suspect.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“You obstructed a criminal investigation.”
Vale’s eyes were cold.
“I protected my family.”
“You keep saying that like it excuses everything.”
Elena suddenly spoke.
“What happened to Claire?”
Vale looked at her.
“She survived the accident.”
Julian’s heart jumped.
“What?”
Victoria stared at her father.
“You told me she died in surgery.”
“She didn’t.”
Julian walked toward Vale.
“Say that again.”
“Claire survived.”
Julian grabbed him by the lapels.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
Julian shoved him against the wall.
“You gave me a death certificate.”
“Yes.”
“You gave me ashes.”
“Yes.”
“Whose ashes were they?”
Vale looked away.
Julian released him slowly.
The senator adjusted his suit.
“The hospital had a problem.”
“What problem?”
“Claire woke after surgery.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Vale continued.
“She was confused. Agitated. She demanded her baby.”
Julian whispered, “Where was the baby?”
“With Anna.”
Elena’s face crumpled.
Memory hit her.
“I took her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Claire asked you to.”
Elena began crying.
Vale looked at Victoria.
“Claire was afraid.”
“Of Victoria?”
“No.”
Vale’s voice changed.
“Of someone else.”
Julian frowned.
“Who?”
Before Vale could answer, Marcus entered carrying a tablet.
“You need to see this.”
He showed Julian security footage from the building lobby.
A man in a baseball cap had entered three days earlier.
Elena gasped.
“I know him.”
“Who?”
“He was in my dreams.”
Marcus zoomed in.
Vale’s face went gray.
Julian turned.
“You know him too.”
Vale whispered, “That’s impossible.”
“Who is he?”
Vale swallowed.
“Dr. Aaron Pike.”
“The doctor from St. Matthew’s?”
Vale nodded.
“He signed Claire Bennett’s death certificate.”
Julian stared at the screen.
Marcus said, “There’s one more problem.”
May you like
“What?”
“Dr. Pike officially died three years ago.”
