Chapter 9 - The Husband I Never Knew
Michael closed his eyes.
"Eleanor, don't."
Claire stared.
Gabriel moved slightly in front of her.
Eleanor lowered the pistol just enough to show she wasn't threatening Claire.
"Michael's father is Arthur Kane."
Silence.
Claire felt the entire conspiracy rearrange itself.
Arthur Kane.
The man supposedly dead for twenty years.
The man above Robert.
Gabriel's father's former partner.
Michael's father.
Michael opened his eyes.
"I found out two years ago."
Claire understood.
Exactly when Michael changed.
Exactly when he became secretive.
Exactly when money began disappearing.
Arthur had not recruited a random son-in-law.
He had recruited his son.
"Did you know Arthur was alive?" Claire asked.
"Yes."
"Did you work for him?"
Michael looked at her.
"Yes."
"Did you agree to kill me?"
His face collapsed.
"Yes."
No excuse.
No denial.
Claire appreciated the truth only because she hated everything else.
"Why?"
Michael laughed bitterly.
"Because I'm weak."
Claire waited.
"He spent my whole childhood pretending I didn't exist. Then he came back and told me I could have everything."
"Money."
"Power. His company. His name."
Claire looked at him.
"And all you had to do was murder your pregnant wife."
Michael flinched.
"I thought I could stop before..."
"Before what? Before I hit the ground?"
He looked away.
Claire's calm broke.
"You watched me fall."
"I know."
"You told Ethan I had no pulse."
Michael cried harder.
"I know."
"And Sophie Lane?"
"I didn't know she was alive when they took her."
"But you signed."
"Yes."
Claire turned away.
She couldn't look at him.
Gabriel asked Eleanor, "Where's Arthur?"
"I don't know."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I've been hiding from him for thirty years."
Eleanor explained.
Arthur had been violent long before Northbridge became powerful.
When Michael was a baby, Eleanor fled.
Arthur allowed it only because acknowledging an illegitimate son threatened his public life.
Years later, he tracked Michael.
Waited.
Then recruited him when Michael married into the Mercer fortune.
"This was planned before Claire's grandfather died?" Gabriel asked.
"Long before."
Thomas's business had something Arthur wanted.
Government logistics access.
The trust was only a bonus.
Then Eleanor said the one thing nobody expected.
"Arthur doesn't care about the fifty million anymore."
Claire frowned.
"Then what does he want?"
"Your company."
Mercer Logistics had contracts worth billions.
Claire's shares gave her controlling authority.
If she died and Michael became guardian of her child, Arthur could manipulate control through his son.
The fifty million was bait.
The company was the prize.
Michael whispered, "There's more."
Claire turned.
He looked at Gabriel.
"Arthur killed your father."
Gabriel's expression became stone.
"And Claire's father."
Nobody spoke.
"He ordered Robert to stage both crashes."
Gabriel walked toward Michael.
Claire grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Gabriel stopped.
Barely.
Michael continued.
"Arthur keeps records."
"Where?"
"His estate."
"Location?"
"I don't know."
Eleanor did.
An old winery north of the state line.
Arthur's original family property.
Federal agents prepared a warrant.
But before they could move, Claire went into premature labor.
A contraction bent her forward.
Gabriel caught her.
"Claire?"
She breathed.
"I'm fine."
Dr. Shaw disagreed.
At the hospital, monitors showed early labor.
Stress had accelerated everything.
"Can you stop it?" Claire asked.
"We can try."
For hours, medication slowed the contractions.
Gabriel stayed outside until Claire asked for him.
"Sit."
He sat.
She looked exhausted.
"Do you regret finding me?"
Gabriel stared.
"That's a terrible question."
"Answer."
"No."
"Even with all this?"
"No."
She smiled faintly.
"Good."
"Do you regret trusting me?"
"Not yet."
He laughed.
It was the first time Claire heard him laugh fully.
Then she became serious.
"If something happens to me—"
"No."
"Gabriel."
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to say."
"Something dramatic involving the baby."
"Probably."
"Still no."
Claire took his hand.
"If something happens, don't let Michael or Arthur touch my daughter."
Gabriel looked at their joined hands.
"Nothing's going to happen."
"You can't promise that."
"No."
He looked at her.
"But I can promise the second part."
Claire believed him.
At midnight the contractions stopped.
The baby remained where she belonged.
For now.
Then Agent Grant called.
The warrant team had reached Arthur's winery.
Empty.
But they found Dr. Harlan alive in a basement room.
He agreed to cooperate.
His testimony connected Robert, Arthur, Ethan, and Michael to falsified deaths.
Including Thomas's.
Including Henry's.
Including Claire's.
"Where is Henry?" Claire asked.
Harlan knew.
Arthur had him.
Alive.
Why?
Because Henry possessed the master encryption key for the financial records.
Arthur couldn't kill him until he got it.
Harlan also revealed Robert's next move.
He planned to flee that night by private aircraft.
Claire asked, "With Arthur?"
"No."
"With who?"
Harlan looked frightened.
"Your mother."
Claire stared at Diane.
Diane looked equally shocked.
"That's impossible."
Then her phone rang.
Robert.
Diane answered on speaker.
"Hello?"
Robert's voice was calm.
"Diane, it's time."
"For what?"
"You owe me."
"I owe you nothing."
"You gave me Daniel's files fifteen years ago."
Diane's face crumpled.
"And you killed him."
A pause.
Then Robert laughed.
"I didn't kill your husband."
Claire froze.
Robert continued.
"You did."
Diane dropped the phone.
Claire stared at her mother.
"Mom?"
Diane shook her head violently.
"No."
Robert's voice continued through the speaker.
"Tell Claire what happened in the car that night."
Diane began to cry.
May you like
Claire whispered:
"What car?"
