Chapter 62 The Documents
The name on the screen made no sense.
Claire Hyland. Sebastian's sister.
"That's wrong," Sebastian said immediately. "Run it again. The trace has to be wrong."
Ryan ran the analysis three more times. Each time, the IP address led back to Claire's laptop. The device she carried everywhere. The one she'd used to send them encouraging texts and share articles about pregnancy and offer support through every crisis.
"It's not wrong," Ryan said quietly. "Every communication from ColtonLegacy came from Claire's device."
Harper felt the world tilt. Claire had been her ally. Her friend. The one who'd warned her about Sebastian's emotional unavailability, who'd taken her to lunch, who'd cried happy tears when they announced the real engagement.
"There has to be an explanation," Harper said. "Someone hacked her laptop. Or cloned it. Or something."
"The communications go back five years," Ryan countered. "Before you even met Sebastian. Before the contract marriage. Someone's been using Claire's device to coordinate with Morrison since Sebastian first became CEO."
Sebastian had gone very still. "Show me the messages. All of them."
Ryan pulled up the file. They read in horrified silence.
"The wedding is the perfect opportunity," one message read. "Make him think marriage will solve his problems. Then destroy the relationship from the inside."
"Harper is the key," another said. "She's the vulnerability we've been waiting for. Sebastian's never cared about anyone before. We can use that."
"The pregnancy is perfect timing," a recent message stated. "He'll be distracted, emotional, easier to manipulate. Morrison moves tomorrow. I'll handle Sebastian."
Harper felt sick. "These messages talk about me like I'm a weapon."
"Because that's what you were supposed to be." Sebastian's voice was hollow. "A weakness they could exploit. Someone I'd care about enough that destroying you would destroy me."
"But Claire loves you. She's your sister. Why would she do this?"
Sebastian was quiet for a long moment. "The money. Dad left everything to me. The company. The estate. The trust funds. Claire got a generous settlement but nothing compared to what I inherited. She's been bitter about it for years."
"Bitter enough to frame you for embezzlement? To try to destroy your life?"
"To destroy the company Dad chose me to run. To prove I wasn't worthy of the position he gave me over her." Sebastian's hands shook. "She's been sabotaging me for five years. Every attack. Every betrayal. All of it orchestrated by my own sister."
Ryan cleared his throat. "The dinner invitation. It's clearly a trap. But if we don't show up, she'll know we're onto her. Morrison boards his plane tomorrow and disappears. We lose our chance to prove everything."
"So we go," Sebastian said. "But prepared. Wired for recording. Security positioned outside. We get her confession and end this."
"Sebastian, she's planning to kill you tonight," Harper said. "You can't just walk into that."
"I can with proper backup. And Harper, I need you to stay here. Please. If something goes wrong, our baby needs one parent."
Harper wanted to argue but saw the fear beneath Sebastian's determination. He was terrified. Not of Claire, but of losing Harper.
"Okay," Harper agreed. "But you wear a wire. And Ryan's team goes with you. And if anything feels wrong, you leave immediately."
They spent the next three hours preparing. Ryan outfitted Sebastian with recording equipment hidden in his watch and tie clip. Positioned a team around Claire's apartment building. Coordinated with Detective Morrison, who agreed to have units on standby.
At six thirty, Sebastian kissed Harper goodbye.
"If I don't come back—" he started.
"You're coming back. You promised." Harper held his face between her hands. "You promised you were staying. So keep that promise."
"I will. I love you."
"I love you too. Now go get your confession and come home."
Harper watched from Ryan's surveillance van as Sebastian entered Claire's building. Cameras showed him riding the elevator to the penthouse floor. Knocking on Claire's door.
Claire answered looking radiant. "Sebastian! You're early. Come in, come in."
The apartment was elegant. Expensive art on the walls. Wine chilling. Classical music playing softly.
"Harper's not with you?" Claire asked, pouring wine.
"She's tired. Pregnancy fatigue." Sebastian accepted the glass but didn't drink. "You said you had something important to tell us?"
"I do. But first, let's toast. To family. To loyalty. To getting what we deserve."
Sebastian raised his glass. "To getting what we deserve."
Claire drank deeply. Sebastian pretended to sip.
"I've been thinking about Dad lately," Claire said, settling onto the couch. "About how he built this empire from nothing. How he sacrificed everything for Colton Industries."
"He did."
"And then he left it all to you. His eldest son. The heir apparent." Claire's voice had an edge now. "Never mind that I graduated top of my business school. I worked for the company for five years. That I understood the vision better than you ever did."
"Claire…"
"He chose you because you're male. Because in his outdated mind, sons inherit empires and daughters get consolation prizes." Claire stood, agitated. "Do you know what he left me, Sebastian? Five million dollars and a token position on the board. While you got billions."
"I didn't ask for it."
"No, you just accepted it. Took everything that should have been mine and ran the company into the ground with your arrogance and your contract marriages and your complete inability to see threats right in front of you."
Sebastian went very still. "What threats?"
"Me. I've been undermining you for five years and you never noticed. Too busy playing CEO to see that your own sister was destroying you from the inside."
In the van, Harper held her breath. Claire was confessing. Actually confessing.
"Why?" Sebastian asked. "If you wanted to run the company, you could have competed for the position legitimately."
"Because Dad's will prevented that. Majority control goes to you permanently. The only way I get what's mine is if you're removed in disgrace. If the Colton name is so damaged that the board has no choice but to clean the house completely."
"So you coordinated with Morrison. Helped him embezzle. Framed me."
"I did more than that. I planted the bugs in your penthouse. Leaked your contract to the press. Send those texts to Harper making her doubt you. I orchestrated everything." Claire smiled. "And it almost worked. The board was this close to removing you. Just a few more pieces falling into place."
"Like what?"
"Like this." Claire pulled a gun from beneath a couch cushion. "You see, Sebastian, you're going to die tonight. Suicide. Overwhelmed by the embezzlement scandal and the pregnancy and the pressure. So tragic. And I'll comfort your widow and help raise your child and eventually take my rightful place running Dad's company."
Sebastian raised his hands slowly. "Claire, put the gun down. You don't want to do this."
"Yes I do. I've wanted this for five years. You took everything from me. Now I'm taking it back."
In the van, Harper screamed at Ryan. "Get in there! She's going to kill him!"
Ryan was already moving, his team converging on the building.
But they were too far away.
Sebastian was alone with a sister who'd spent five years planning his murder.
And Harper could only watch as Claire leveled the gun at his chest.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Claire said. "I actually liked Harper. But she chose you. And anyone who chooses you over me deserves what they get."
"Claire, please. Think about this. You'll go to prison."
"No, I won't. Because Morrison will take the fall for everything. He's leaving the country tomorrow with evidence that makes him look like the mastermind. I'm just the grieving sister who tried to hold the company together after her brother's tragic death."
Sebastian took a step toward her. "You're my sister. The only family I have left. Don't do this."
"I stopped being your sister the day Dad chose you over me."
Claire's finger tightened on the trigger.
Sebastian dove to the side as the gun fired.
Glass shattered. Sebastian hit the floor hard.
Claire fired again.
In the van, Harper couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, could only watch the monitors as her husband fought for his life against the sister he'd trusted.
Ryan's team crashed through the door. "Police! Drop the weapon!"
Claire spun toward them, gun raised.
"Don't!" Sebastian shouted from the floor. "Don't shoot her!"
But Claire was already firing. Officers returned fire.
The monitors went dark as cameras were hit.
Harper heard gunshots through Sebastian's wire. Shouting. Chaos.
Then silence.
"Sebastian!" Harper screamed at the dead monitors. "Sebastian, answer me!"
Static.
Then a voice. Weak but alive.
"I'm okay. I'm okay. She missed."
Harper collapsed with relief as Ryan confirmed through his team that Sebastian was unharmed.
Claire wasn't.
She'd been shot twice by officers. Critical condition. Rushed to the hospital under armed guard.
Sebastian emerged from the building thirty minutes later, shaking but alive. Harper ran to him, wrapping herself around him despite the pregnancy bump between them.
"You're okay," she sobbed. "You're okay."
"I'm okay. It's over. She confessed to everything. We have it all recorded."
Morrison was arrested at the airport an hour later. The board called an emergency meeting for the morning. The police had everything they needed to clear Sebastian completely.
It was over.
Really over this time.
At home, Harper couldn't stop touching Sebastian. Verifying he was real. Alive. Still here.
"Your sister tried to kill you," Harper said in the dark bedroom. "Claire tried to kill you."
"I know." Sebastian's voice was broken. "She's been destroying me for five years and I never saw it. I trusted her completely."
"We both did."
They lay together in silence, both processing the betrayal.
"No more secrets," Sebastian said finally. "No more people we haven't vetted. No more assuming family means loyalty."
"Agreed."
"And Harper? When they ask me tomorrow if I want to press charges against Claire, I'm saying yes. She's my sister but she tried to murder me. That's where family loyalty ends."
"I'll support whatever you decide."
They fell asleep holding each other.
Survivors again.
But this time, finally, permanently safe.
All the threats eliminated.
All the traitors exposed.
Nothing left but the life they'd fought so hard to build.