Chapter 7 - Zurich
Adrian tried to take the phone from Dad.
Dad moved it away.
“Don’t.”
“I can explain the clinic.”
“Then explain it to your wife.”
I folded my arms, ignoring the pain across my shoulders. “I’m listening.”
Adrian looked at Vanessa, then at me.
“I had testing done.”
My mouth went dry.
“When?”
“A year ago.”
“After I asked you to go with me?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
He shook his head.
“Why?”
His silence answered before his mouth did.
“Because the results were bad,” I said.
Adrian looked away.
Vanessa stepped toward him. “You told me the clinic said everything was fine.”
He snapped, “Not now.”
“No, now.” Her voice sharpened. “You said Claire was the problem.”
I laughed, but there was no humor in it.
Of course he had.
Of course that was the story Vanessa had carried into board dinners and charity events.
Adrian finally spoke. “The first test showed extremely low counts. The second showed almost none.”
Vanessa stopped breathing.
Dad’s gaze dropped to her stomach.
She noticed.
“No.”
Miriam said, “No one is making an accusation.”
“You’re all making one with your faces.”
Adrian turned to Vanessa. “If you’re seven weeks pregnant…”
“I am.”
“And my doctor said—”
“Doctors are wrong all the time.”
“Then we get a test.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed. “You don’t trust me?”
He stared at her.
The question was almost funny after everything he had done to me because he trusted her too much.
Vanessa grabbed her purse.
Dad’s security chief stepped aside this time.
She headed for the door.
Adrian followed. “Where are you going?”
“Away from this circus.”
“Vanessa.”
She turned on the threshold. “You want a paternity test? Fine. But when it proves this baby is yours, I want Claire gone before I come back.”
I met her eyes. “You won’t be coming back.”
She smiled at me.
It was small and ugly.
“You still think tonight is about money, Claire.”
Then she walked out.
Adrian frowned. “What does that mean?”
I didn’t know.
Ten minutes later, one of Dad’s analysts called Miriam.
She put the call on speaker.
“We decrypted another folder from the drive,” the analyst said. “It contains recordings.”
“What kind?” Miriam asked.
“Audio from inside the Vale residence.”
I felt the blood drain from my face.
May you like
The analyst continued.
“One recording is labeled ‘Claire - staircase - final.’”
