Chapter 7: The Secret My Father Buried
I spent the entire night searching through my father’s records.
Not company records.
Personal ones.
The kind he kept locked away.
The kind I had never touched because I respected his privacy.
But Marcus had planted a question in my mind.
And questions were dangerous.
Especially unanswered ones.
By sunrise, I had found it.
A folder labeled:
*CLAIRE — PERSONAL PROTECTION*
My hands trembled as I opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Reports.
Background checks.
The first photograph was Ethan.
Taken five years before we met.
I stared at the date.
Five years.
I flipped through the documents.
Ethan had applied for a position at Hartwell Medical Systems.
But he was never hired.
My father rejected him.
The reason:
*Concerns regarding financial instability and deceptive business practices.*
I froze.
Then why did Ethan suddenly appear years later?
Why did my father allow him near me?
The next document answered that.
A letter.
From my father.
“Daniel, I believe Claire is already involved with Ethan. If that is true, I need to understand his intentions before I act.””
I sat down.
My heart sank.
My father knew.
He knew Ethan was in my life.
He knew something felt wrong.
But he didn’t tell me.
Why?
The next page explained.
“Removing Ethan immediately may cause Claire to defend him. She needs to see the truth herself.””
I closed my eyes.
Because I hated that my father was right.
If he had warned me, I probably would have defended Ethan.
I would have called him paranoid.
I would have said he didn’t understand Ethan.
The truth was painful.
But it was true.
My father had not trusted Ethan.
He had not trusted Marcus.
He had not trusted Thomas.
He had been watching.
Waiting.
Protecting me quietly.
A sound came from behind me.
I turned.
Daniel stood at the doorway.
“You found it.””
I stared at him.
“You knew.””
He didn’t deny it.
“Yes.””
“Everyone knew something except me.””
Daniel looked hurt.
“Your father wanted to protect you.””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“He wanted to control what I knew.””
Daniel walked inside.
“That isn’t fair.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Fair?””
I held up the file.
“My fiancé attacked me. My uncle betrayed me. My assistant was forced to spy on me. My attorney kept secrets.””
I looked at him.
“Do you understand why I’m tired of people deciding what I can handle?””
Daniel was quiet.
Then he nodded.
“You’re right.””
That surprised me.
He continued.
“Your father loved you. But he made the mistake of thinking protection meant carrying the burden alone.””
I looked away.
Because that sounded exactly like my father.
Daniel sat across from me.
“There’s something else.””
I sighed.
“What now?””
He opened his briefcase.
A small envelope sat inside.
“Your father left this for you.””
I stared.
“Another letter?””
Daniel nodded.
“This one was only to be opened if Ethan exposed himself.””
I opened it.
My father’s handwriting appeared.
“Claire,
If you are reading this, then you already know the truth about Ethan.
But there is one truth you do not know.
Ethan was never interested in you because of your company.
He was interested because of something I gave you.””
I stopped.
Something he gave me?
I read further.
“The day you turned eighteen, I placed a private trust in your name. It contains ownership rights to the most valuable part of Hartwell Medical Systems.””
I frowned.
I knew about my inheritance.
But not this.
“What is this?””
Daniel looked serious.
“It’s the patent.””
I looked up.
“The surgical technology.””
He nodded.
“Your father transferred ownership of it to you personally years ago.””
My heart raced.
“Why?””
“Because he knew someone would eventually try to take the company.””
The realization hit me.
Ethan wasn’t trying to marry the CEO.
He was trying to marry the owner of the technology.
A knock interrupted us.
Margaret rushed in.
Her face was pale.
“Claire.””
“What happened?””
She held out her phone.
“It’s Marcus.””
I looked at the screen.
A live news broadcast was playing.
The headline appeared:
*MARCUS VALE CLAIMS HARTWELL CEO FABRICATED ATTACK TO DESTROY BUSINESS PARTNERS.*
My blood ran cold.
“He’s going public.””
Daniel stood.
“Why?””
I watched the screen.
Marcus appeared in front of cameras.
Calm.
Confident.
Prepared.
Then he said:
“Claire Hartwell is not the victim everyone believes she is.””
May you like
And I knew.
The war had just begun.
