Chapter 19 - Claire's Choice
Daniel shouted, "Claire, move!"
Margaret pulled out a small black remote.
Not a gun.
Her thumb hovered over a red button.
Rebecca went white.
"Bomb."
Price shouted for everyone to get down.
Margaret backed toward the loading bay.
"The archive was never my only insurance."
Claire stepped closer instead of retreating.
"You won't do it."
Margaret stared at her.
"You still don't understand me."
"No. I finally do. You don't want to die. You want everyone else afraid you might be willing to."
Margaret's thumb twitched.
Claire's voice shook, but she kept walking.
"You made Rebecca afraid. You made me ashamed. You made Emma disappear. You put cameras in my daughter's room. And every time, you called it protection."
"Claire. Stop."
It was the first time Margaret sounded uncertain.
Claire took another step.
"No."
Then Rose moved.
The nine-year-old slid a metal pipe across the floor toward Daniel.
Daniel kicked it hard.
It struck Margaret's wrist.
The remote flew from her hand.
Price tackled her before she could reach it.
The device skidded beneath a conveyor.
A bomb technician later confirmed the truth.
The remote was fake.
There were no explosives.
Margaret had been bluffing.
Even at the end, fear was her favorite weapon.
Morris and three Hale Residential employees were arrested that night. Two more were arrested before morning.
Rebecca and Emma were taken to the hospital.
Rose refused to leave Rebecca's side.
Daniel found Claire in the hospital hallway just before sunrise.
She looked destroyed.
"Lily?" he asked.
"With Marcus. Sleeping."
Daniel nodded.
Claire stared through the glass at Rebecca.
"I don't expect you to forgive me."
"Good."
She looked at him.
He did not soften the truth.
"You lied to me for years. You hid your family. You took evidence. You put our daughter in danger because you were still scared of your mother."
Claire nodded, tears falling.
"I know."
"I don't know what happens to us."
"I know."
Daniel turned to leave.
Rebecca's hospital-room door opened.
Emma stood there.
She held a folded piece of paper.
"Daniel?"
He stopped.
May you like
"There's one more thing you need to see."
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