Chapter 5: The Recording Nobody Was Supposed to Hear
I locked myself in the upstairs bedroom.
Daniel knocked three times.
"Claire, open the door.""
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the flash drive.
"Please, Claire. We need to talk.""
I said nothing.
"Lauren is manipulating you.""
I looked toward the door.
"Then why are you so afraid of what's on this drive?""
Silence.
A moment later, I heard him walk away.
I waited until his footsteps disappeared down the stairs before taking out my laptop.
My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped the flash drive.
It contained dozens of files.
Photographs.
Bank statements.
Scanned contracts.
Audio recordings.
One file was labeled:
*OCTOBER 14 — STUDY — 8:43 P.M.*
The date of my father's death.
I clicked it.
At first, there was only static.
Then I heard a chair scrape against the floor.
A familiar voice spoke.
My father's.
"Daniel, sit down.""
I stopped breathing.
Another voice answered.
Daniel's.
"Mr. Bennett, I think we should wait until Margaret gets here.""
"No. I've waited long enough.""
There was a pause.
Then my father spoke again.
"I know about the money.""
I pressed my hand against my mouth.
Daniel replied quietly.
"How much do you know?""
"Enough.""
Another pause.
"Lauren told me about the transfers.""
My stomach tightened.
Then Daniel said something I wasn't prepared for.
"Lauren doesn't know everything.""
My father's voice became colder.
"What does that mean?""
"It means she's not the person behind the entire operation.""
I leaned closer to the laptop.
My father asked:
"Then who is?""
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
I heard a folder being opened.
Then my father said:
"Margaret?""
Daniel sighed.
"Your wife signed the authorization.""
"I know.""
"She also approved the company transfer.""
"I know that too.""
My father's voice cracked.
"Then why are you still protecting her?""
I paused the recording.
My mother.
My father had known.
Daniel had known.
Lauren had known.
And somehow, I'd been the only person in my family who hadn't.
I pressed play again.
Daniel spoke.
"Because she wasn't acting alone.""
My father's chair scraped backward.
"Who else?""
A long silence followed.
Then Daniel answered.
"Someone inside the company.""
"Who?""
"I haven't confirmed the name.""
My father sighed.
"Find it. Before they move the remaining assets.""
There was another sound.
A door opening.
Then a woman's voice.
"You're both making a terrible mistake.""
My blood turned cold.
It was my mother.
The recording continued.
My father spoke first.
"Margaret, we're done hiding this.""
She laughed bitterly.
"You're not thinking clearly.""
"I'm thinking more clearly than I have in years.""
"Your daughters will lose everything if you do this.""
"My daughters are losing everything because of you.""
I heard something hit the desk.
Then my mother said:
"Don't pretend you're innocent, Robert.""
I stared at the screen.
My father replied:
"What are you talking about?""
"You know exactly what I'm talking about.""
The audio crackled.
Then came a sentence that made my entire body go numb.
"Daniel knows what happened to the original trust.""
There was a pause.
My father said:
"What did you tell him?""
My mother answered:
"The truth.""
I stopped the recording.
I couldn't move.
The original trust?
What had happened to it?
I replayed the last thirty seconds.
Again.
And again.
Then I heard footsteps outside the bedroom.
"Claire?""
It was Lauren.
I opened the door.
She stood there holding two cups of coffee.
Her eyes were red.
"Can I come in?""
I stepped aside.
She placed one cup on the bedside table.
"Did you listen?""
I nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She looked confused.
"Tell you what?""
"That Mom was involved.""
Lauren sat down.
"I didn't know everything.""
"But you knew enough.""
She nodded.
I sat opposite her.
"Why did you let me marry him?""
Lauren looked at her hands.
"Because I was scared.""
"Of what?""
"Of losing everything.""
I stared at her.
"You're telling me you let me marry the man you loved because you were afraid of losing money?""
She shook her head.
"No. I let you marry him because I thought he could protect us.""
"Us?""
"You and me.""
I laughed.
"You don't get to use that word anymore.""
She swallowed.
"Claire, I know I hurt you.""
"That's an understatement.""
"I was in a terrible position.""
"So was I. But I didn't betray you.""
Lauren looked toward the window.
"After Dad died, Mom told me there was a way to keep the company in the family. She said Daniel would help.""
"Why Daniel?""
"Because they were already working together.""
I frowned.
"Working together on what?""
"An investment project.""
"What project?""
Lauren hesitated.
Then she said:
"The company that owns the shares now.""
I felt cold.
"Bennett Family Holdings?""
She nodded.
"That company was created before Dad died.""
I stared at her.
"How much money went through it?""
"More than the documents show.""
"How much?""
She whispered:
"Almost eighteen million.""
I stood.
"Where did it go?""
"Most of it was transferred into another company.""
"Whose company?""
Lauren closed her eyes.
"Daniel's.""
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
"You're saying Daniel stole my inheritance?""
She nodded.
I shook my head.
"Why would he do that? You just told me he was supposed to protect us.""
"He was supposed to.""
"Then what happened?""
Lauren began crying again.
"He changed.""
I walked toward the dresser.
"People don't accidentally move eighteen million dollars into their own companies.""
"I know.""
"People don't accidentally hide apartments, secret accounts, and fake business arrangements.""
"I know.""
"Then stop acting like you're a victim.""
Lauren wiped her cheeks.
"Because I am.""
I turned.
She looked at me with an expression I'd never seen before.
Not anger.
Not jealousy.
Fear.
"Daniel promised me he would marry me.""
I felt my stomach twist.
"He was dating you.""
"He told me he wanted a future with me. He said your father would eventually approve.""
"And then he proposed to me.""
Lauren nodded.
"After Dad died, Daniel told me everything had changed. He said the trust was too complicated, that your mother was involved, and that the only way to keep the company from collapsing was to marry you.""
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought he would come back to me.""
The confession was so pathetic that I almost couldn't speak.
Lauren continued.
"For years, he told me the marriage was temporary. He said once the assets were transferred, he would divorce you.""
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
"Did he?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
She looked away.
"Because he started enjoying being your husband.""
I swallowed.
"Did you two have an affair?""
Lauren didn't answer.
I nodded slowly.
"That's what I thought.""
She suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Claire, listen. Whatever happened between us, I never wanted you to lose your father. I never wanted you to be hurt.""
I pulled my hand away.
"Then why did you keep the truth from me?""
She began crying harder.
"Because I was selfish.""
For once, she sounded honest.
Before I could respond, the bedroom door opened.
Daniel stood in the doorway.
His face was pale.
"Claire, we need to go.""
I looked at him.
"Where?""
"To the bank.""
I frowned.
"What bank?""
"Your father's old bank. The one that held the original trust documents.""
Lauren stood.
"Daniel, no.""
He ignored her.
"There's something you need to see.""
I crossed my arms.
"Why can't you show me here?""
"Because the original documents are in a private vault.""
"Then let's get them.""
Daniel shook his head.
"There's a problem.""
"What problem?""
He looked at Lauren.
Then back at me.
"The bank contacted me this morning. Someone tried to access the vault using your father's authorization.""
I frowned.
"My father has been dead for six years.""
"Exactly.""
"Who tried?""
Daniel swallowed.
"They used his original signature.""
I looked at the flash drive.
Then at the recording.
"Who has access to that signature?""
He didn't answer.
Lauren suddenly whispered:
"Mom.""
Daniel shook his head.
"No.""
Lauren stared at him.
"Don't you dare.""
I stepped between them.
"Tell me.""
Daniel looked as if he was about to be sick.
Then he said:
"Your mother wasn't trying to steal the trust.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"She was trying to release it.""
"To whom?""
He looked at me.
"To the person your father named as its original beneficiary.""
I stared at him.
"Who?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
"Your sister.""
I turned toward Lauren.
She looked just as shocked as I felt.
May you like
Then Daniel added:
"And that's why the next document you see is going to change everything.""
