Chapter 6 - THE BETRAYAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Claire stared at the message.
The words felt unreal.
Cannot be allowed to leave alive.
Her fingers went cold.
Damian watched her reaction carefully.
He wanted fear.
He wanted panic.
But Claire gave him something else.
Anger.
“You wrote this.”
Damian smiled.
“You really think I would send myself a message?”
“Yes.”
She looked around.
“Because you’ve been manipulating everyone since the beginning.”
Damian shook his head.
“You still don’t understand.”
He looked at her mother.
“She does.”
Claire turned.
Her mother was crying.
“Mom?”
Her mother looked away.
That hurt more than anything.
Because Claire had spent eleven years imagining this moment.
The moment she would find her mother again.
She imagined tears.
A hug.
A family reunited.
Not this.
Not secrets.
Not fear.
“Tell me the truth,” Claire said.
Her mother looked at her.
“Claire…”
“No.”
Her voice broke.
“Not another lie.”
The room watched.
Her mother finally whispered:
“I was the one who gave Damian your location.”
Claire felt like the floor disappeared.
“What?”
“I thought he would only scare you away.”
Damian smiled.
“Your mother understood the consequences.”
Claire looked at her mother.
“Why?”
Tears fell from the woman’s eyes.
“Because I knew what your father did.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
“He destroyed people.”
“No.”
“He made enemies.”
“No!”
Claire stepped back.
She couldn’t accept it.
Everything was falling apart.
Her father.
Her mother.
Her inheritance.
Her entire past.
Damian watched the pain on her face.
And enjoyed it.
“This is why you were never ready.”
Claire looked at him.
“Ready for what?”
“To know the truth.”
He walked toward a large screen used for the wedding presentation.
He connected his laptop.
The guests watched as an old video appeared.
Claire’s heart stopped.
It was her father.
Ethan Carter.
Older.
Tired.
Sitting behind his office desk.
The video began.
“If you are watching this…”
Her father looked directly into the camera.
“…then I failed.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Her father continued.
“I made mistakes.”
Damian watched her reaction.
“I trusted the wrong people.”
The video stopped.
The screen went black.
Claire looked at Damian.
“You edited it.”
“No.”
Damian smiled.
“That was the full recording.”
Claire shook her head.
“Where is the rest?”
“There is no rest.”
But Claire noticed something.
A tiny pause.
A hesitation.
A lie.
She had known her father her entire life.
Even from a recording, she could tell.
Something was missing.
Claire looked at Thomas Reed.
The older lawyer looked nervous.
Too nervous.
Then she understood.
“The video.”
Everyone looked at her.
“You had access to the original.”
Thomas said nothing.
Claire stepped closer.
“You took the flash drive.”
The room went silent.
Thomas looked away.
Damian smiled.
Finally.
Finally, Claire was looking in the right direction.
Thomas whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Claire felt betrayed again.
“Why?”
Thomas looked at Damian.
“Because he threatened my family.”
Damian’s smile faded.
For the first time…
Someone had revealed his method.
Fear.
Control.
Blackmail.
Claire looked at Damian.
“You don’t win because you’re smarter.”
She clenched her fists.
“You win because you destroy anyone who stands against you.”
Damian said nothing.
Claire turned toward the guests.
And raised her voice.
“Everyone here needs to understand something.”
She pointed at Damian.
“He doesn’t own this city because he’s powerful.”
She looked around.
“He owns it because everyone is afraid of him.”
A few people lowered their heads.
Because they knew she was right.
Then suddenly…
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone rushed toward the windows.
A black SUV had smashed through the security gate.
Someone inside shouted:
“Claire Carter!”
She froze.
Because she recognized the voice.
It was someone from her past.
Someone who should have been dead.
And the next words made her blood run cold.
“Your father didn’t leave you an inheritance.”
A pause.
May you like
“He left you a warning.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
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