Chapter 63 The Confrontation
Harper stared at Claire through the hospital room window.
Sebastian's sister lay in the bed, handcuffed to the railing despite her injuries. Two gunshot wounds. One to the shoulder. One to the abdomen. She'd survived surgery but faced years in prison once she recovered.
"You don't have to do this," Sebastian said beside Harper. "You don't owe her anything."
"I know. But I need to understand why." Harper pushed open the door.
Claire's eyes opened as they entered. Her face was pale, but her expression was defiant.
"Come to gloat?" Claire asked, her voice weak.
"Come to get answers." Harper pulled a chair beside the bed. Sebastian stayed by the door, arms crossed, his face unreadable.
"What could I possibly tell you that would make any of this make sense?"
"Try." Harper kept her voice steady. "You were my friend. You helped me. You supported us. Why were you trying to destroy Sebastian the whole time?"
Claire laughed, then winced at the pain. "I wasn't your friend. I was playing a role. Getting close to you so I could exploit your weaknesses. Make you doubt Sebastian. Turn you into the weapon I needed."
"But you cried when we announced the engagement. You seemed genuinely happy."
"I was happy. It meant my plan was working. Sebastian was finally emotionally invested in someone. Finally vulnerable." Claire's eyes found her brother. "For five years, you were untouchable. No personal life. No weaknesses. Just work and control. I couldn't break you. Then Harper appeared."
"So you pretended to support our relationship while sabotaging it behind the scenes," Sebastian said quietly.
"Exactly. Get Harper to trust me. Feed her doubts about you. Send anonymous texts making her question everything. Watch you both slowly destroy yourselves." Claire shifted in the bed. "It would have worked if you hadn't gotten pregnant. That complicated things."
Harper's hand went to her stomach protectively. "How did the pregnancy complicate things?"
"Because it gave Sebastian something to fight for beyond the company. Before, I just needed to destroy your career. But once Harper was carrying your child, you'd fight harder. Be more careful. I had to accelerate the timeline."
"Which is why you coordinated with Morrison to frame Sebastian for embezzlement," Harper said.
"I coordinated everything. The surveillance. The leaked contract. Patricia Chen. Even Vanessa." Claire's voice was bitter. "I recruited them all. Pointed them at you and watched them attack. I was the puppet master the whole time."
Sebastian stepped closer. "Vanessa said you were the one who told her about Harper. Who suggested she warn Harper that I was manipulating her."
"I did. Vanessa was easy to manipulate. Still bitter about your broken engagement. All I had to do was feed her information and point her at Harper. She did the rest herself."
"And Patricia? Amanda? Nicole?"
"Patricia blamed you for her daughters' arrests. I simply helped her channel that rage. Gave her resources. Connected her with James Hartwell." Claire smiled despite the pain. "Everyone was so easy to turn against you once I showed them what to hate."
Harper felt sick. "You orchestrated years of attacks. People died because of what you did. James Hartwell. The embezzlement victims Morrison killed."
"Collateral damage. Necessary to achieve the goal."
"The goal being what exactly? Destroying your own brother?" Sebastian's voice was ice.
"Taking back what should have been mine!" Claire's composure finally cracked. "Dad built that company with Mom's money. Her family's wealth funded everything. When they divorced, she got nothing. When she died, I got nothing. And you, the golden child, the precious son, you got everything."
"I offered to share the inheritance," Sebastian said. "Multiple times. You refused."
"Because I didn't want a share. I wanted control. I wanted the company Dad should have given me. I wanted recognition for being just as capable as you." Claire's eyes filled with tears. "But he never saw me. Never considered that his daughter could run Colton Industries. He just saw you."
Harper felt an unexpected wave of sympathy. She understood the pain of not being seen. Of watching someone else get opportunities denied to you.
"Claire, I'm sorry Dad hurt you," Sebastian said quietly. "But that doesn't justify what you've done. You tried to murder me. You terrorized Harper. You destroyed people's lives."
"I know. And I'd do it again if it meant getting what I deserved."
The finality in her voice chilled Harper. Claire felt no remorse. Just rage that her plan had failed.
"Did you ever actually care about Sebastian?" Harper asked. "Or was it all manipulation?"
Claire looked at her brother for a long moment. "Once. When we were children and Dad was too busy to notice either of us. We were close then. But that ended the day he chose Sebastian for the CEO position. The day he made it clear I'd never be enough simply because I was born female."
"So you spent five years destroying him instead of competing legitimately."
"There was no legitimate path. Dad's will locked me out permanently. The only way to win was to burn it all down and rebuild from the ashes." Claire closed her eyes. "I almost succeeded. If you hadn't found those recordings, if Morrison hadn't cracked under pressure, I would have won."
"But you didn't win," Sebastian said. "You lost everything. Your freedom. Your reputation. Your family."
"I lost you the day Dad chose you over me. Everything else was just confirming what I already knew." Claire opened her eyes. "When do they transfer me to jail?"
"After you're medically cleared. Then you face trial for attempted murder, conspiracy, fraud, and whatever else the DA can prove."
"Good. At least in prison, no one will expect me to smile and pretend I'm happy being second best to my brother."
Harper stood. "I hope someday you understand what you've lost. Not the company. The relationship. The family you destroyed because you couldn't see past your own bitterness."
"And I hope someday you realize Sebastian will do to you what Dad did to me. Choose something else over you. Leave you behind when you're no longer useful." Claire's voice was venom. "That's what Colton men do. They use people until they're empty, then discard them."
Sebastian took Harper's hand. "Let's go. She can't hurt us anymore."
They left Claire alone in her hospital room, bitter and broken.
In the car, neither spoke for several minutes.
"Do you think she's right?" Harper finally asked. "That you'll eventually choose something over me?"
Sebastian pulled over and turned to face her. "No. And here's how I know. I had a choice tonight. Between protecting the company and protecting you. Every instinct Dad trained into me said to prioritize Colton Industries. But when Claire pointed that gun at me, the only thought in my head was that I needed to survive to come home to you and our baby."
"Really?"
"Really. The company is replaceable. You're not." Sebastian cupped her face. "Claire's wrong about me. I'm not my father. I won't make his mistakes. I choose you. Every time."
Harper kissed him, pouring everything she felt into the connection. "I choose you too."
They drove home as the sun set over Seattle, both of them exhausted but relieved.
It was finally over. Every threat is eliminated. Every traitor was exposed.
Nothing left but the future they'd build together.
At home, Sebastian's phone rang. The hospital.
"Mr. Colton? I'm calling about your sister. There's been a complication."
Sebastian put it on speaker. "What kind of complication?"
"She's gone. Somehow disconnected her IV, overpowered the guard, and escaped. We've contacted the police but I wanted to inform you immediately."
Sebastian's face went pale. "When?"
"Approximately twenty minutes ago. Right after you left."
Harper felt ice flood her veins. Claire was gone. Injured, angry, and somewhere in the city.
"She's coming for us," Harper whispered.
Sebastian was already calling security. "Get to the penthouse now. And find Claire before she does."
But as he hung up, both of them knew the truth.
Claire had nothing left to lose.
Which made her more dangerous than ever.
And somewhere in Seattle, she was planning her final move.
The last attack.
The one that would either destroy them completely or end hervendetta forever.
They just had to survive until she made it.
And hope that this time, they'd see it coming.
Before it was too late.