Chapter 10: The Secret Claire Died Protecting
I couldn’t speak.
The document blurred in front of my eyes.
My father’s name.
Bellandi.
A connection I never knew existed.
A secret hidden before I was even born.
Mara looked at the paper.
Her expression changed completely.
“Where did you get that?””
Evelyn smiled.
“Claire found it first.””
I looked at Mara.
“You knew?””
She didn’t answer immediately.
That silence was worse than any confession.
“You knew.””
Mara closed her eyes.
“Not everything.””
Thomas looked shocked.
“What does that mean?””
Mara finally spoke.
“Your father was connected to the Bellandi family before you were born.””
I felt betrayed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because Claire asked me not to.””
My anger turned toward confusion.
“Why?””
Mara looked at me.
“Because she discovered the truth wasn’t about your bloodline.””
She picked up the document.
“It was about inheritance.””
Evelyn laughed softly.
“Now you understand.””
I turned toward her.
“Understand what?””
“That Daniel Carver was never just an outsider.””
She looked around the room.
“Your father helped build the foundation of Bellandi Holdings before he walked away.””
Thomas stared.
“And the company records?””
“Were rewritten.””
Mara’s face hardened.
“You changed history.””
Evelyn shrugged.
“I corrected it.””
I looked at the documents again.
Everything connected.
The false financial trail.
My identity.
Claire’s investigation.
Someone wanted control over Bellandi Holdings.
And my name was the key.
“Where is Claire?”” I asked.
Evelyn’s smile disappeared.
For the first time, she looked uncertain.
“I don’t know.””
I stepped closer.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because Vincent took her.””
Mara looked surprised.
Evelyn continued.
“He thought she had evidence against him.””
Thomas shook his head.
“No.””
Evelyn looked at him.
“You knew he was alive.””
Thomas said nothing.
“You all had pieces of the truth.””
Her eyes moved between us.
“But Claire had the entire picture.””
My phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then I heard breathing.
A familiar sound.
A sound I had dreamed about for three years.
“Daniel?””
My knees almost gave out.
I knew that voice.
I knew it before my mind accepted it.
“Claire?””
Silence.
Then a quiet sob.
“I’m sorry.””
I covered my mouth.
Tears filled my eyes.
“You’re alive.””
“Yes.””
“Where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
Her voice trembled.
“Because they’re still watching.””
I looked around the room.
At Mara.
At Thomas.
At Evelyn.
“Who?””
A long pause.
Then Claire whispered:
“The person who started all of this.””
I closed my eyes.
“Tell me.””
Another pause.
Then:
“Daniel, listen carefully.””
Her voice became urgent.
“The person who betrayed us wasn’t Vincent.””
Everyone watched me.
“It wasn’t Evelyn.””
My heart raced.
“Then who?””
Claire breathed in.
And said the words I never expected.
“It was someone who loved us.””
The call ended.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then the office lights went out.
A security alarm began screaming.
Thomas rushed to the window.
“Someone is leaving.””
Mara looked outside.
A black car was speeding away.
Evelyn stared after it.
Her face had gone pale.
“Who is it?””
Nobody answered.
Because I recognized the driver.
A person I had trusted my entire life.
A person who had comforted me after Claire disappeared.
A person who knew every detail of our family.
My own mother.
And as the car vanished into the night, I finally understood Claire’s warning.
May you like
The closest people were always the easiest to trust.
And the easiest to betray you.
