Chapter 84
Anna’s POV:
“So you’re saying you hired someone to deliberately hurt your leg and then frame me for it. That’s what you did, not Kate, right?” I kept my voice steady as I watched Claire’s expression change.
The smile on her face disappeared instantly, replaced by a cold, malicious glare. “So what if I did? Blake doesn’t believe I did it anyway. And even if he found out, hed fix everything for me.”
I felt a chill run down my spine. This wasn’t just sibling devotion–there was something disturbing in the way she spoke about her stepbrother. I needed to keep her talking,
‘Do you remember at Dawnlight Theatre when your ballet company colleague slapped you in front of everyone?”
Claire laughed, a high–pitched sound that seemed to bounce off the walls of the guest room. “Let me tell you the truth. That was staged too. I hired that actress. That slap was specially directed by me!”
I couldn’t hide my shock. “What?”
“You remember, don’t you? That time you were trying to get rid of me too!”
Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer. “Anna, I don’t take action without reason. You forced me to do it!”
Claire’s emotions shifted violently. One moment she was laughing maniacally, the next she crouched down on the floor, sobbing.
The abrupt change was jarring, but her tears didn’t move me this time. I’d seen the sickness in her eyes–the obsessive attachment to Blake that went far beyond normal sibling affection.
A knock on the door interrupted us.
‘Mrs. Wright? Is everything alright in there?” Martha’s concerned voice called out.
Before I could answer, I heard her whispering into a phone, “Mr. Wright, please come home quickly. Mrs. Wright is crying. I think Claire upset her.”
I walked over and opened the door. Martha stood there, phone in hand, looking worried.
‘Let me talk to him,” I said, taking the phone from her.
‘Anna? What’s going on?” Blake’s voice was tight with concern.
I’m fine. Claire just misses you,” I said calmly, looking at Claire who was still on the floor but had stopped crying to listen. “You should come home and spend some time with her. She didn’t sleep well last night.”
I handed the phone to Claire, who took it with a satisfied smile. She’d realized that threats were more effective than tantrums. She stood up and walked out with the phone, speaking sweetly to Blake.
Martha lingered in the doorway. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
I nodded, touched by her concern. Since my father passed away, Martha had become increasingly protec
“Martha, please don’t let Claire see that you’re helping me,” I said quietly. “I think she’s dangerous.”
Martha waved dismissively. “She’s just a young girl, Mrs. Wright. Don’t worry so much.”
of me.
1/3
Chapter 84
She reached out and patted my hand. “I care for you like my own daughter. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
I felt my throat tighten. “Thank you, Martha. Could you do something for me? Contact Caroline and ask her to send some security personnel here.”
Her eyes widened. “Security personnel?”
“Yes, several of them. I need people patrolling every corner of the estate, twenty–four hours a day.”
Martha looked concerned but nodded. ‘I’ll call Mrs. Wright right away.”
After she left, I locked the door, picked up my phone, and stopped the recording. I played it back, making sure Claire’s confession
was clear.
When I saw Claire storm into my room earlier with that look on her face, I’d immediately guessed she was coming to confront me.
I’d slipped my hand into my pocket, activated the recording, and placed the phone on the side table before she could notice.
Perfect. The evidence was irrefutable. This had been part of my plan for weeks–I knew Claire would get overconfident eventually.
I just hadn’t expected her to admit everything so easily, including the incident at the theatre. She was so certain of Blake’s unconditional support that she didn’t even try to hide her actions.
I stared at my phone, weighing it in my hand. “Blake, when you hear Claire admitting to hurting me, will you really ‘fix everything for her like she believes? Or will you finally stand by my side?”
The gray walls of Boston Detention Center seemed to close in around me as I waited. The guard led Lucas to the table. He’d lost weight since being detained for threatening me.
His eyes were desperate. “How is Jade?”
I sat across from him. I’d come as Jade’s friend, not as her EcoMarine colleague. “She’s okay.”
“I don’t believe it,” Lucas shook his head vehemently. “I don’t believe Jade is cheating on me.”
I took a deep breath. “She wants a peaceful divorce. She wants to start over with… that person. She’s willing to leave with nothing and has transferred all her work responsibilities to me.”
“She’s testing me!” Lucas exclaimed, leaning forward. “I know she still loves me!”
I bit my lip, the secret burning inside me. Jade wasn’t cheating. She had terminal cancer and was hiding her diagnosis from Lucas. She’d rather let him hate her than watch him suffer through her slow decline.
Looking at Lucas’s eager eyes, I felt a stab of pain. I remembered Jade’s pale face in the hospital bed, her pleading eyes. “Promise me, no matter what he asks, you won’t tell him the truth.” Each lie told felt like swallowing razor blades.
“Seven years together,” Lucas said, his voice breaking. “How can feelings change so suddenly?”
Seven years together, and you never noticed her weight loss or her pain? I thought, unable to say it alo who also overlooked my feelings. I felt a strange kinship with Jade.
Til make sure everyone knows the truth,” Lucas threatened.
“If you truly love her,” I said firmly, “respect her decision.”
‘t reminded me of Blake,