Chapter 5: My Husband's Missing Six Years
“Alexander?””
My husband's name sounded unfamiliar coming from my mouth.
He didn't move. His gaze remained fixed on the hotel receipt, and the silence between us stretched until I could hear the clock ticking behind Mr. Harrison's desk.
Stephanie seized the opportunity.
“Go ahead, Claire. Ask him.””
Alexander finally looked at her.
“You've said enough.””
“Have I?”” She gave a shaky laugh.
“Because your wife seems to think you're the only honest person in this room.””
“Stephanie,” Nathan warned.
She rounded on him.
“Don't you dare tell me what to do. You've spent six years promising me that everything was handled.””
I turned back to Alexander.
“Were you involved in Daniel's death?””
“No.””
The answer came immediately.
But there was something he wasn't telling me.
I knew my husband. I knew the slight tightening around his eyes when he was calculating a difficult decision. I knew the way his thumb moved over his wedding ring when he wanted to speak but was holding himself back.
He was doing both.
“Then what was your company doing at that hotel?””
Alexander exhaled.
“Six years ago, my investment firm was investigating Daniel Cole's business dealings. He had approached one of our partners about a merger, but our due diligence uncovered irregularities in his accounts.””
“What kind of irregularities?””
“Payments to shell companies. Missing funds. Forged signatures.””
My gaze drifted toward the trust documents on the desk.
“Was he stealing money from my inheritance?””
“We suspected he had been attempting to gain control of several family assets. We didn't know about your connection to him at the time.””
“Did you meet him?””
“Yes.””
The admission hurt more than I expected.
“When?””
“The evening he died.””
I stepped away from him.
“You were there?””
“I was at the hotel for a meeting with our legal team. Daniel had agreed to provide documents concerning the missing funds.””
“And you never told me?””
“I didn't know he was your biological father until recently.””
“Recently?””
Alexander looked toward Mr. Harrison.
The attorney lowered his eyes.
That was when I understood there was more than one secret being kept from me.
“Tell me the truth,” I said.
“All of it.””
Alexander removed his wedding ring, turned it once between his fingers, then slipped it back into place.
“I learned about Daniel's connection to your mother eleven months ago. Your mother contacted me privately after she discovered that someone had begun making inquiries into the family trust again.””
I stared at him.
“Eleven months?””
“She was afraid the old documents would resurface. She asked me to protect you without revealing the details unless it became necessary.””
“And you agreed?””
“Yes.””
“Without telling your wife?””
His face tightened.
“I thought I was protecting you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Apparently, that's the family motto.””
He accepted the blow without defending himself.
“You're right,” he said quietly.
“I should have told you.””
For a moment, the room was so still that Stephanie's sniffles sounded deafening.
Then Alexander continued.
“My company obtained security footage from the hotel after Daniel's death. The footage showed several people entering and leaving his room that evening. The police reviewed what they needed for their investigation, but a separate recording was preserved because it showed a financial transaction unrelated to the death.””
“Who was on it?””
Alexander looked at Nathan.
“Nathan was.””
Nathan's expression collapsed.
“That footage proves nothing.””
“What did you do at the hotel?”” I asked.
He shook his head.
“I came after Stephanie called me.””
“To protect her?””
“Yes.””
“From what?””
“From being blamed for something she didn't do.””
Stephanie looked at him in disbelief.
“You told me you destroyed the recording!””
Nathan went rigid.
Alexander's eyes narrowed.
“Destroyed it?””
Stephanie covered her mouth.
Nathan stepped toward her.
“Be quiet.””
“No!”” She shoved him hard in the chest.
“You said nobody could prove anything. You said your father had taken care of the documents before he died!””
I stared at them.
“What documents?””
Neither answered.
Alexander took out his phone.
“The original recording wasn't destroyed. My company retained a copy because it contained evidence of financial fraud.””
He made a brief call, asking someone to retrieve a file from the firm's secure archive. When he ended the call, he looked at me.
“I didn't bring it today. I had no reason to believe your sister would raise this issue at your mother's funeral.””
“Can it prove what happened?””
“It may establish who entered Daniel's room and when. It may also show whether anything was removed.””
“Then I want to see it.””
Alexander nodded.
“I'll arrange that.””
Stephanie began pacing.
“You can't show her that footage.””
“Why not?”” I asked.
“Because you don't know what you're looking at!””
“Then explain it.””
She stopped.
For the first time, I saw something beneath her fear that looked almost like hatred.
“You always do this,” she whispered.
“Do what?””
“Make everyone believe you're the good one. Mom loved you more. Dad loved you more. Even Nathan wanted you first.””
The words struck a place inside me that had never completely healed.
“Then you took him,” I said.
“And now you're angry because I survived?””
“I loved him!””
“You loved winning.””
Stephanie slapped the desk with her palm.
“You have no idea what I sacrificed!””
Alexander stepped between us before I could answer.
“That's enough.””
A phone vibrated on the desk.
Mr. Harrison glanced at the screen, then frowned.
“That's strange.””
“What is it?”” I asked.
“The records department has just confirmed that someone requested the original case file concerning Daniel Cole's death three days ago.””
“Who requested it?””
He turned the screen toward us.
The request had been submitted under a legal representative's account.
The name was unfamiliar to me.
But the signature at the bottom was not.
It belonged to my mother.
And beside it was a handwritten instruction dated the day before her death.
If anything happens to me, give the complete file to Claire. Do not give it to Alexander Whitmore.
May you like
I slowly turned toward my husband.
For the first time in our marriage, he looked genuinely afraid.
