Chapter 18 - The Final Message Ruiz gave me one final file.
A video Claire had recorded the afternoon before she died.
She looked tired.
But determined.
"Daniel."
She smiled.
"If you're watching this, I need you to hear something you're going to hate."
I almost laughed.
That was Claire.
She never softened the truth.
"Vanessa didn't fool you because she's brilliant."
She paused.
"She fooled you because some of her lies were comfortable."
I lowered my eyes.
Claire continued.
"You wanted to believe I was unstable."
"You wanted to believe I needed space."
"You wanted to believe the company problems were somebody else's fault."
Tears burned my eyes.
"You kept asking for cleaner proof because the ugly proof would have forced you to choose."
She smiled sadly.
"I'm angry with you."
Then:
"But I love you."
She leaned closer.
"If I'm gone, don't spend the rest of your life turning guilt into another excuse to disappear."
She looked directly into the camera.
"Noah needs you."
The video ended.
I cried.
Not because Claire was gone.
May you like
Because I finally understood that she had known exactly who I was.
Even when I didn't.
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