Chapter 8: The Truth Claire Buried
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The room felt frozen.
Claire stood in the middle of the kitchen, unable to look at me.
Daniel stared at her too.
Neither of us needed to say it.
We both knew.
“Claire.””
My voice was quiet.
Almost too quiet.
“Where are the documents?””
She closed her eyes.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Marcus…”
“Where are they?””
She walked toward the cabinet near the kitchen wall.
Slowly.
Like every step was carrying the weight of ten years.
She opened the bottom drawer.
Then she reached behind a stack of old photographs.
And pulled out a small black box.
My chest tightened.
“How long?””
She held the box against her chest.
“Since Ethan was born.””
I stared at her.
“You had them for ten years?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her eyes filled with pain.
“Because Andrew made me promise.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Of course he did.””
She flinched.
“Marcus, listen.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I need you to listen to me.””
My voice cracked.
“I spent ten years believing I was building a family with you. I defended you. I trusted you. I chose you.””
I pointed at the box.
“And all this time, you were holding the one thing that could explain everything.””
Claire whispered:
“I was protecting Ethan.””
“You keep saying that.””
I stepped closer.
“But who was protecting me?””
She looked down.
That answer hurt more than words.
Daniel slowly approached.
“What did Andrew tell you?””
Claire opened the box.
Inside were several documents.
A small flash drive.
And a handwritten letter.
She picked up the letter.
“He told me never to open this unless someone came looking for Ethan.””
I stared.
“And Robert came looking.””
She nodded.
Daniel took the flash drive.
“What’s on this?””
“I don’t know.””
I looked at her.
“You never checked?””
She shook her head.
“I was afraid.””
Daniel looked at me.
“We need to see it.””
We moved to the living room.
The same room where Ethan had opened his birthday gift hours earlier.
The same room where everything changed.
Daniel connected the flash drive to my laptop.
A video appeared.
Andrew.
Again.
But this time, he looked different.
More frightened.
He looked directly into the camera.
“If you’re watching this, then Robert found Ethan.””
Claire covered her mouth.
Andrew continued.
“I need whoever sees this to understand something. Robert doesn’t want the money.””
I frowned.
“Then what does he want?””
Andrew answered his own question.
“He wants control.””
The video showed Andrew placing documents on a table.
“He knows Ethan is the legal heir, but he also knows the trust has conditions.””
Daniel leaned closer.
“What conditions?””
Andrew continued.
“The person protecting Ethan must prove they have no connection to the people trying to take him.””
My eyes moved toward Claire.
The room became silent.
Andrew looked into the camera.
“Claire, if you failed to tell Marcus the truth, I understand why.””
Claire started crying.
“But Marcus needs to know something.””
I held my breath.
Andrew said:
“He was never chosen because of blood.””
The words hit me.
“He was chosen because he was the only person I trusted to love Ethan without wanting anything from him.””
I looked away.
For the first time that night, my anger broke.
Andrew had known.
He had known I was Ethan’s father.
The video continued.
“There is one more thing.””
Andrew’s face became serious.
“Robert didn’t start looking for Ethan because of the inheritance.””
Daniel frowned.
“Then why?””
Andrew whispered:
“Because Ethan knows something.””
I froze.
“What?””
The video ended.
The screen went black.
Nobody spoke.
Then a sound came from the front door.
A soft knock.
Once.
Twice.
Claire looked terrified.
“That’s impossible.””
I stood up.
“Who is it?””
She whispered:
“I thought he was dead.””
My heart started racing.
“Who?””
Claire stared at the door.
May you like
Then she said a name I had never heard before.
“Andrew.””
