Chương 7
Daniel had not been surprised because her mother was alive.
He had been surprised because Claire finally found out.
Claire stared at him through the falling snow.
The realization hurt more than any secret she had discovered that night.
"You knew."
Daniel slowly walked toward her.
"Claire."
"No."
Her voice was quiet, but there was no confusion left.
"You knew she was alive."
Daniel stopped several feet away.
The snow continued falling between them.
"I knew there was a chance."
"A chance?"
Claire laughed softly, but there was pain behind it.
"My mother has been alive all these years, and you call it a chance?"
Daniel looked down.
"I never knew where she was."
"But you knew she wasn't dead."
He did not answer.
That was all the answer she needed.
Claire turned away.
She felt like her entire body was struggling to process too many impossible truths at once.
Her mother was alive.
Her father was connected to the family she married into.
The man she loved had known pieces of her story before she ever knew there was a story.
Nothing made sense anymore.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Daniel's voice cracked.
"Because I was afraid."
Claire looked back at him.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
She stepped closer.
"Everyone was afraid."
"Your mother was afraid."
"My adoptive father was afraid."
"Your family was afraid."
"And you were afraid."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Do you understand what all of you did?"
Daniel nodded slowly.
"We took away your choice."
Claire looked at him.
The honesty almost made it worse.
Because she knew he understood.
He knew exactly what he had done.
"I loved you."
Daniel looked at her.
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You don't."
Her voice trembled.
"Because if you did, you would have trusted me with the truth."
Daniel looked devastated.
"I thought telling you would put you in danger."
"And keeping me ignorant didn't?"
He had no answer.
The mansion doors opened behind them.
Eleanor stepped outside.
Her coat was wrapped tightly around her shoulders.
"Claire."
Claire looked at her.
The woman who had spent years controlling every conversation now looked completely powerless.
"I am sorry."
Claire stared at her.
"Sorry doesn't bring back years."
"No."
Eleanor nodded.
"It doesn't."
She walked closer.
"But I need you to understand why your mother disappeared."
Claire remained silent.
She wanted answers.
But she also feared them.
"Margaret was not running from us."
Eleanor continued.
"She was running from someone who had power over everyone."
"Who?"
Eleanor looked toward Daniel.
Then toward Robert standing inside the doorway.
"Someone who was willing to destroy anyone who got too close."
Claire looked at her.
"My adoptive father."
Eleanor nodded.
"But not alone."
Claire frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Eleanor looked away.
"There was someone helping him."
The cold wind moved through the driveway.
Claire felt a new wave of fear.
"Who?"
Eleanor hesitated.
Then she said something Claire never expected.
"Someone in this house."
Claire turned toward the mansion.
Her eyes moved across the windows.
Every room suddenly felt like it contained a memory she could no longer trust.
"Who is inside?"
Eleanor did not answer.
Claire looked back at her.
"Who?"
Before Eleanor could respond, Robert stepped outside.
"Enough."
His voice carried authority, but Claire noticed something different.
Panic.
"Robert," Eleanor warned.
"No more half-truths."
He looked at Claire.
"You deserve everything."
Claire waited.
Robert took a slow breath.
"The person who helped your adoptive father was someone who had access to every family record."
Claire's heart tightened.
"Who?"
Robert looked at Eleanor.
Then at Daniel.
Finally, he answered.
"Someone who worked for this family for decades."
Claire frowned.
"A family employee?"
Robert shook his head.
"No."
He looked toward the mansion.
"Someone who was considered family."
The words created a terrible silence.
Claire looked at Daniel.
His expression changed.
He knew something.
"Daniel."
He swallowed.
"Claire, I don't know everything."
"But you know something."
Daniel looked away.
She stepped closer.
"Tell me."
He hesitated.
Then he whispered.
"My aunt."
Claire froze.
"Your aunt?"
Daniel nodded.
"She was the person who managed the family records after my grandfather died."
Claire remembered the name appearing in old documents.
A woman she had never met.
A person everyone described as loyal.
"Where is she now?"
Daniel looked toward the ground.
"She disappeared years ago."
Claire felt another chill.
"Convenient."
"Claire."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I am done believing that every disappearance is a coincidence."
Nobody argued.
Because they knew she was right.
Her phone vibrated again.
Everyone looked at it.
Another message.
Claire stared at the screen.
This time there was no warning.
Only a location.
And one sentence.
Come alone if you want the truth about your mother.
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
"Don't go."
Claire looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because it could be a trap."
She looked at the message.
Then at him.
"How would you know?"
Daniel went silent.
Claire felt the answer before he spoke.
"You have received messages before."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Her chest tightened.
"How many?"
He did not answer.
"How many, Daniel?"
"Three."
Claire looked shocked.
"And you never told me."
"No."
The anger she felt was almost overwhelming.
"You watched someone threaten your family, and you said nothing?"
"I was trying to handle it."
"By lying?"
Daniel looked broken.
"I was trying to protect you."
Claire shook her head.
"You keep using that word."
She looked at everyone around her.
"Protect."
The word sounded empty now.
"Maybe you were protecting yourselves."
Nobody spoke.
Because somewhere inside, they knew there was truth in her accusation.
Claire looked back at the location on her phone.
She knew she should not go.
Every instinct told her it was dangerous.
But the possibility of seeing her mother again was stronger than fear.
"I am going."
Daniel immediately shook his head.
"No."
Claire looked at him.
"You don't get to decide that anymore."
The sentence hurt him.
May you like
She saw it.
But she also knew it was true.
