Chapter 9: The Betrayal Inside Bennett Holdings
The voice coming from the phone made my entire body freeze.
Because I knew it.
I had heard it thousands of times.
At family dinners.
At business meetings.
During holidays.
A voice that belonged to someone I trusted.
Someone who had hugged me.
Someone who had told me they were proud of me.
“Emily needs to believe Daniel is her choice.””
My father stopped the recording.
I looked at him.
“Who was that?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
That scared me.
“Dad.””
His expression was painful.
“It’s your uncle.””
I felt my stomach drop.
My father’s younger brother.
Thomas Bennett.
The man who had worked beside my father for thirty years.
The man who had always called me his “little princess.””
“No.””
Richard nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
I looked at the phone.
“This can’t be real.””
“I wish it wasn’t.””
The driveway became silent again.
Too many secrets.
Too many people.
I looked at Daniel.
“Did you know?””
He shook his head immediately.
“No.””
For once, I believed him.
Not because he deserved it.
Because his fear looked genuine.
Margaret suddenly became nervous.
“Thomas had nothing to do with this.””
Interesting.
I looked at her.
“You’re defending him?””
She realized her mistake.
“I’m saying you don’t know what you’re talking about.””
My father stepped forward.
“Margaret, you’ve known Thomas for years.””
Her silence confirmed everything.
I closed my eyes.
Everyone was connected.
Everyone except me.
I had spent years believing I was surrounded by family.
But apparently, I was surrounded by people waiting for me to fail.
My phone rang.
This time, it was Claire.
Everyone looked at the screen.
My sister.
The woman who had betrayed me.
I answered.
“Hello?””
Her voice came immediately.
“Emily.””
I said nothing.
“I heard Dad arrived.””
My jaw tightened.
“How?””
A pause.
Then she laughed softly.
“You really think you’re the only one with information?””
I looked at my father.
The pain on his face told me he heard everything.
“Claire.””
“What?””
“Why?””
Silence.
Then:
“Why what?””
“Why did you do this?””
Her voice changed.
The fake sweetness disappeared.
“Because you never deserved it.””
My chest tightened.
“Deserved what?””
“Everything.””
The word came out full of anger.
“You always got everything without trying.””
I almost laughed.
“Everything?””
“Yes.””
Claire’s voice became sharper.
“You were the daughter everyone protected. The one Dad worried about. The one who could walk away from the company and still be loved.””
I looked at my father.
He looked heartbroken.
“Claire, I never wanted your place.””
“That’s the problem.””
Her voice cracked.
“You never wanted anything.””
I didn’t know what to say.
Because suddenly I understood.
Her hatred wasn’t created by something I did.
It was created by what she believed I represented.
“Claire…”
“No.””
She interrupted.
“You’re going to lose everything now.””
I gripped the phone.
“Is that a threat?””
A quiet laugh.
“No.””
She sounded calm.
“It’s a promise.””
Then the call ended.
Nobody spoke.
Daniel finally broke the silence.
“She’s dangerous.””
I looked at him.
“You knew that?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
I looked away.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.””
My father sat beside me.
“Emily, listen.””
I looked at him.
“Your sister made a mistake.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
“She made choices.””
And I knew something had changed inside me.
Earlier today, I wanted revenge.
Now I wanted the truth.
All of it.
My father’s assistant approached again.
“Mr. Bennett.””
Richard looked up.
“Yes?””
“We received an alert.””
“What kind?””
The assistant hesitated.
Then handed him a tablet.
I watched my father read the screen.
His expression changed.
“What is it?””
He looked at me.
“Claire filed an emergency motion.””
“For what?””
He handed me the tablet.
The headline was impossible.
*CLAIRE BENNETT CLAIMS EMILY CARTER IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO CONTROL HER INHERITANCE.*
My blood ran cold.
“She’s trying to take my company.””
My father nodded.
“But that’s not the worst part.””
I looked at him.
“What could be worse?””
He turned the tablet around.
At the bottom of the document was a signature.
A witness signature.
Someone confirming Claire’s claims.
Someone who said I was unstable.
Someone who claimed I was dangerous.
I stared at the name.
And my heart broke.
May you like
Because the person who signed the statement…
was Daniel.
