Chapter 13 - The Lake House

Federal agents traced Daniel's call to a rural tower north of Mansfield.

Not Lake Erie.

"He lied," Claire said.

"Or Eleanor made him lie," Ward replied.

Claire was now thirty-four weeks and three days pregnant. Her doctors wanted her in the hospital. Ward wanted her in a protected location.

Claire wanted answers.

She settled for both: a secured maternal-fetal medicine unit under an alias.

Maya and Ward drove north with a tactical team.

Rosa stayed with Claire.

At 4:17 p.m., Ward called.

"We found the house."

"Daniel?"

"Alive. Shot in the shoulder."

"Eleanor?"

"Gone."

The house contained a wall safe filled with passports, cash, and corporate records. In the basement, agents found more.

Photographs of Claire.

Hospital schedules.

Copies of her prenatal records.

A typed timeline labeled VESTING EVENT.

The date beside it was Claire's scheduled induction.

"They planned everything," Claire whispered.

Ward's silence confirmed it.

Daniel was taken into custody from the hospital where he received treatment. He asked to see Claire.

She refused.

Then Maya returned with a small black notebook recovered from the lake house.

"It's Eleanor's."

Inside were names, payment amounts, and dates going back fifteen years.

Mercer. Rusk. Vale.

A probate clerk.

A private evaluator who had signed Evelyn's commitment reviews.

And one name Claire recognized immediately.

Maya Chen.

Claire looked up.

Maya's face had gone still.

"Why is your name in her book?"

"I don't know."

Beside Maya's name was a payment of $75,000 dated four years earlier.

The year Maya had helped Claire negotiate her prenuptial agreement with Daniel.

Rosa stood slowly.

Claire could barely speak.

"Maya?"

Maya reached for the notebook.

Claire pulled it away.

"Tell me."

Maya's eyes filled with something Claire had never seen there before.

Fear.

Then she said, "That money was not paid to me."

"How do you know?"

"Because four years ago someone opened a trust account in my firm's name without my authorization."

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