Chapter 6 - Claire's Perfect ConcernClaire found Noah in the kitchen the next morning.
She looked rested.
Calm.
Almost cheerful.
“You've been busy.”
Noah froze.
“With what?”
“Your father said you visited the office.”
Noah poured cereal.
“It's his company.”
Claire sat opposite him.
“Why were you there?”
“To see Dad.”
“You've become very interested in his business.”
Noah looked up.
“Maybe I want to understand what's mine.”
Claire smiled.
“Nothing is yours yet.”
There was the real woman again.
No witnesses.
No performance.
Noah lowered his voice.
“Cedar Ridge.”
The smile disappeared.
Only for a second.
But Noah caught it.
Claire stood.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“You know exactly what I'm talking about.”
She walked around the island.
Noah stepped back.
Claire stopped.
“Are you recording me?”
Noah's hand instinctively moved toward his pocket.
Claire smiled.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Confirming it.”
She walked away.
Noah realized too late.
Claire hadn't known.
She had guessed.
And he had reacted.
By noon Daniel called him downstairs.
Claire sat on the sofa.
Between them was Noah's old tablet.
Daniel looked furious.
“What is this?”
Noah frowned.
“Mine.”
“Claire found it in the guest room.”
“So?”
Daniel turned the screen.
Photographs filled it.
Claire asleep.
Claire getting dressed.
Claire beside the pool.
Claire in the kitchen.
Dozens.
Noah's stomach dropped.
“I didn't take those.”
Claire looked down.
Daniel's voice shook with anger.
“You expect me to believe that too?”
“No.”
Noah stepped closer.
“Look at the file dates.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“Look.”
Daniel opened the details.
Several images had been created that morning.
Noah pointed.
“I haven't used that tablet in months.”
Claire spoke quietly.
“You were home this morning.”
Noah turned.
“You put them there.”
She flinched convincingly.
Daniel stood.
“Stop.”
“She planted them.”
“Enough.”
“Check the login.”
Daniel paused.
Noah grabbed the tablet.
“Check the cloud account.”
“Noah—”
“If I took these, they'd be in my cloud.”
Daniel hesitated.
Claire stood quickly.
“This is humiliating.”
“Exactly,” Noah said. “So let's prove it.”
Daniel looked at the device.
For the first time, he didn't immediately side with Claire.
Claire saw it too.
She began crying.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
“Maybe I should stay somewhere else.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“Claire.”
“I don't feel safe.”
Noah laughed in disbelief.
Claire wiped her face.
Daniel went to her.
And the moment was gone.
Again.
That evening Noah found Elena folding laundry outside the guest suite.
“Did Claire tell you to put my tablet in here?”
Elena's hands stopped.
“No.”
“Did you see anyone enter?”
Elena looked toward the hallway.
“Mr. Mark came yesterday.”
Noah stared at her.
“Mark Ellison?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He said Mrs. Claire needed documents delivered.”
“Did he go upstairs?”
Elena hesitated.
“I saw him near the guest room.”
Noah's pulse quickened.
“Will you tell Dad?”
Elena looked frightened.
“I have worked for your father a long time.”
“Then tell him.”
“You don't understand.”
“What?”
Elena lowered her voice.
“Three months ago I found financial documents in Mrs. Claire's dressing room while the closet was being repaired.”
“What documents?”
“Transfers.”
“To Cedar Ridge?”
Elena's face changed.
That was confirmation enough.
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“I tried.”
“To Dad?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Mark.”
Noah stared at her.
Elena looked ashamed.
“He told me the payments were authorized consulting fees. Then two weeks later, Mrs. Claire told me my employment contract could be reviewed at any time.”
Noah's anger changed direction.
“You think they threatened you.”
“I think they wanted me quiet.”
Noah stepped closer.
“Elena, I need you to remember everything.”
She shook her head.
“I have a daughter in college.”
“I know.”
“I can't lose this job.”
Noah wanted to argue.
Then he stopped.
Claire didn't only manipulate people emotionally.
She understood leverage.
Money.
Employment.
Fear.
Noah nodded.
“I won't ask you to risk it.”
Elena looked relieved.
Then she whispered, “The documents had account numbers.”
Noah looked up.
“I wrote one down.”
She reached inside her pocket.
A folded piece of paper.
Noah opened it.
A bank account ending in 4817.
Elena said, “I don't know whose it is.”
Noah did.
Not yet.
May you like
But he knew how to find out.
And if Claire and Mark were moving Daniel's money, the pool incident suddenly had a much bigger purpose.
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