Chapter 17 - The Secret Her Father Kept
Claire confronted Thomas before sunrise.
He did not deny it.
“I knew more than I told you.”
The words landed harder than she expected.
“You let me spend my whole life believing my mother died.”
“I believed telling you could get you killed.”
“Victor says you knew everything.”
“No. I knew Lydia was hiding you. I knew Amelia had evidence against Ashford and Holloway. I knew Grant threatened Lydia after Amelia disappeared.”
Claire held up the confession. “Then why didn’t you go to police?”
Thomas’s eyes filled with shame.
“I did.”
He opened an old lockbox.
Inside were letters returned unopened, a police report marked INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE, and a photograph of a younger Thomas with a detective.
“The detective sold my statement to Grant,” he said. “Three days later, Lydia’s brakes failed.”
Claire’s anger stopped.
“Lydia didn’t die from an illness.”
Thomas shook his head.
“She survived the crash but never fully recovered. Cancer took her years later. She made me promise not to tell you until you were old enough to choose the risk yourself.”
Claire sat down.
Everyone had lied to protect her.
The result had been the same as every other lie: someone else had chosen her reality.
Thomas knelt in front of her chair.
“I’m sorry.”
Claire cried quietly.
“I forgive why you did it,” she said. “I’m not ready to forgive that you did.”
He nodded. “That’s fair.”
Later, Ethan found her on the porch.
“You don’t have to forgive anyone on a schedule.”
Claire leaned against him.
“I’m tired of discovering relatives.”
“I can have security screen the family tree.”
She laughed despite herself.
Then Nora called with news from federal prosecutors.
Grant Holloway had vanished.
His private plane never took off, his accounts were frozen, and his passport remained in Boston.
Vanessa was missing too.
Claire stood.
“He took her.”
Ethan’s phone rang at the same moment.
Unknown number.
Grant’s voice came through the speaker.
“Bring Amelia’s original recording to Pier Four at midnight.”
Claire clenched her jaw.
May you like
Grant continued.
“Come alone, Claire, or Vanessa learns how far a father will go to protect his name.”
