Chapter 6 - Claire's Voice The recording lasted eleven minutes.
It felt like eleven years.
Claire accused Vanessa and Elliot of routing millions through shell companies.
Marcus had created fake medical invoices to disguise the payments.
Vanessa laughed.
"You think Daniel is going to choose you over me?"
Claire answered:
"I think Daniel will choose the truth once I force him to see it."
Then came the sound of furniture scraping.
A struggle.
A scream.
A heavy impact.
Noah covered his mouth.
I stopped the recording.
"You don't have to hear this."
"She's my mom."
So I pressed play.
Marcus spoke.
"She's conscious."
Vanessa was crying.
"I didn't mean to—"
"Shut up."
Then Elliot's voice.
"Get the car."
The recording ended.
The next morning Marcus called me.
"You found the card."
I said nothing.
"Come to the clinic."
I went.
Marcus stood beneath fluorescent lights in the underground garage.
"Claire survived the fall," he said.
My heart stopped.
"Where is she?"
"Your father's lake house."
"Why didn't you call an ambulance?"
Marcus opened his mouth.
A gunshot echoed.
His body jerked.
Blood spread across his shirt.
He collapsed into my arms.
Before the police dragged him away, he whispered:
"Boiler room."
Then he passed out.
Ruiz looked at me.
"What the hell is in that house?"
May you like
I already knew.
Something Claire had died trying to hide.
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