Chapter 12 - The Choice Lauren Never Expected
Claire did not go alone.
She told Ethan she would.
The rest of us waited nearby.
Ethan opened the door looking exhausted.
Claire entered wearing a recording device.
He confessed quickly.
He was not Claire’s brother.
The DNA report was forged.
He had been paid to file the claim.
“By whom?”
“Robert.”
Claire stared.
“Lauren’s father is in custody.”
“He arranged it before the wedding.”
Robert had feared the vault records would destroy Lauren’s future.
His backup plan was to trap Hawthorne in litigation for years.
Ethan had agreed because he was drowning in debt.
“What about my business partner?”
Claire asked.
Ethan looked ashamed.
“That part was real.”
Claire almost laughed.
“So you committed property fraud and cheated on me.”
“When you say it like that—”
“There is no better way to say it.”
Police arrested him.
Claire walked outside.
I waited by my truck.
She stopped in front of me.
“You followed.”
“Technically I parked.”
“I told you not to.”
“You told Ethan you were alone.”
“That is annoyingly specific.”
“I restore antiques. Details matter.”
She kissed me.
No hesitation.
When we returned to Hawthorne, Lauren was waiting.
She had made a decision.
She and Grant would stay married.
Not because of the estate.
Because after everything, they still chose each other.
Lauren found me alone in the courtyard.
“Funny,” she said.
“What?”
“You came to my wedding to prove you didn’t love me.”
“Who told you that?”
“Marcus.”
“Traitor.”
“And?”
“And I failed.”
She looked surprised.
I smiled.
“I realized I did love you.”
“Daniel—”
“Past tense can still be love, Lauren.”
Her eyes filled.
“You were my family for six years. Pretending that meant nothing would be another kind of waiting.”
She hugged me.
I hugged her back.
When we separated, Claire stood at the French doors.
She had seen.
Lauren walked toward her.
“Take care of him.”
Claire raised an eyebrow.
“He’s thirty-five.”
“Exactly. It’s worse than I thought.”
They laughed.
Then Lauren became serious.
“He doesn’t need saving.”
Claire looked at me.
“I know.”
That answer mattered.
Later that evening, Grant received a call from Robert’s attorney.
Robert wanted to confess fully.
There was one final secret.
Something he had hidden even from Margaret.
Lauren agreed to visit him.
At the detention center, Robert placed an envelope against the glass.
“I need you to understand why Daniel was invited.”
Lauren frowned.
“We know about his father.”
“No.”
Robert shook his head.
“Samuel Mercer wasn’t the reason.”
Lauren stared at him.
“Then why?”
Robert looked directly toward me through the glass.
“Because Catherine Dawson asked me to make sure Daniel sat beside Claire.”
Claire went still.
Robert continued.
“She knew exactly where Claire would sit.”
I turned toward Catherine.
She had followed us inside.
Her expression gave her away.
Claire whispered, “You arranged the empty chair?”
Catherine said nothing.
Claire stepped toward her sister.
“Why?”
Catherine reached into her coat.
She removed one final unopened letter.
On the front, in my father’s handwriting, were two names.
May you like
DANIEL MERCER AND CLAIRE DAWSON.
The letter had been written seventeen years ago.
