Chapter 4: The Betrayal Inside My Walls
“Was someone inside your own family office.””
Thomas’s words stayed in the air long after the call ended.
I stood in the middle of my apartment, still holding the phone against my ear even though the line had gone silent.
Adrian watched me carefully.
He had always been good at reading people.
But he had never learned how to read me.
“What happened?”” he asked.
I looked at him.
The man who had kissed another woman in front of hundreds of people.
The man who had tried to erase me from my own life.
Now he was waiting for me to save him from a problem he helped create.
“Nothing you need to know.””
His expression hardened.
“You’re still doing this?””
“Doing what?””
“Punishing me.””
I almost smiled.
“Adrian, if I wanted to punish you, you would know.””
The confidence disappeared from his face.
For years, he had mistaken my patience for forgiveness.
He had no idea what I was capable of when patience ran out.
My phone buzzed again.
A message from Thomas.
*Come to the office. Alone. We need to review the original acquisition files.*
I grabbed my coat.
Adrian stepped in front of the door.
“Who was it?””
I looked at him.
“You’re asking me for information?””
“Claire.””
“No.””
My voice was calm.
“But you’re going to learn something tonight.””
His eyebrows lowered.
“What?””
I opened the door.
“People don’t betray you when they hate you.””
I paused.
“They betray you when they think you’ll never notice.””
The family office was located on the top floor of a private building downtown.
Most people thought it was just another investment firm.
They didn’t know it controlled pieces of companies across the country.
They didn’t know it was the reason Hawthorne Industries survived.
And they definitely didn’t know I had spent years quietly preparing for the day someone tried to take advantage of it.
When I entered the conference room, Thomas was already there.
Beside him was a woman I recognized immediately.
My stomach tightened.
“Lydia.””
She stood slowly.
“Claire.””
Lydia had worked for my family for eleven years.
She had been my father’s assistant.
My mentor.
The person who helped me learn every corner of the business.
She was the one person I trusted without question.
Or at least I thought I did.
Thomas placed a file on the table.
“Before we discuss anything, I want you to see this.””
I opened it.
Inside were transaction records.
Emails.
Approvals.
And signatures.
My eyes stopped on one name.
Lydia Carter.
“She authorized these transfers?””
Thomas nodded.
“Over the past eighteen months.””
I looked at Lydia.
“Why?””
Her face was pale.
“I never wanted this to happen.””
“That wasn’t my question.””
She lowered her eyes.
“Why?””
Silence.
Then she whispered.
“Because Adrian promised he would protect me.””
I stared at her.
“Protect you from what?””
Her hands trembled.
“My brother’s company was failing. Adrian said he could help if I gave him access to certain investment records.””
Thomas looked furious.
“You compromised confidential shareholder information.””
“I know.””
Lydia’s eyes filled with tears.
“I thought he loved Claire. I thought he was just trying to prepare for a merger.””
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“You thought he loved me?””
She looked away.
That hurt more than I expected.
Not because of Adrian.
Because Lydia knew me.
She knew what my marriage meant to me.
She knew how much I had sacrificed.
“You helped him destroy me.””
“No.””
Her voice cracked.
“I helped him hide something. I didn’t know he would do this.””
I closed the file.
“Everyone says they didn’t know.””
Thomas looked at me.
“Claire, there’s more.””
I turned.
“What more?””
He opened another document.
“This wasn’t only about the company.””
My eyes moved across the page.
A transfer agreement.
A hidden account.
And a signature.
Adrian Hawthorne.
“He was moving assets before the banquet.””
I felt a coldness spread through me.
“He planned to leave.””
Thomas nodded.
“He believed after announcing Vivian as Vice President, the board would accept his leadership transition.””
I looked at Lydia.
“And he thought I wouldn’t find out.””
She whispered.
“I’m sorry.””
I closed my eyes briefly.
Sorry was a word people used after the damage was already done.
But damage had a price.
And Adrian was about to pay it.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice came through.
“Claire Hawthorne?””
“Yes.””
“This is Vivian.””
I almost hung up.
But something in her voice stopped me.
She didn’t sound confident.
She sounded scared.
“I need to talk to you.””
“Why?””
A pause.
May you like
Then she said something I never expected.
“Because Adrian lied to both of us.””
