Chapter 4 - The Bride’s Secret Deal
Claire returned the next morning.
She walked directly into Whitmore Mansion.
No police.
No lawyer.
No explanation.
Ethan met her in the library.
“You have five minutes.”
Claire closed the door.
“You watched the video.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know I staged the fall.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Why are you admitting it?”
“Because you don't know the rest.”
“What rest?”
Claire placed a folder on the desk.
Inside were financial records.
Ethan read the first page.
Then the second.
His anger slowly turned into confusion.
“These are Whitmore accounts.”
“Shell companies,” Claire said.
“Connected to what?”
“My father.”
Eleanor entered.
Claire turned.
“I thought this was private.”
“Nothing involving my family is private anymore.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“There she is.”
Ethan slammed the folder shut.
“Explain.”
Claire faced Eleanor.
“My father didn't simply lose his fortune. Someone destroyed him.”
“Who?”
“Your husband.”
The room became silent.
Ethan's father, Charles Whitmore, had died seven years earlier.
Eleanor said quietly, “Be careful.”
Claire pushed the papers toward her.
“Charles Whitmore invested with my father, discovered the business was collapsing, then pulled his money and exposed him.”
“That isn't destroying him.”
“He knew what would happen.”
“He stopped your father from stealing from more people.”
Claire's eyes filled with anger.
“My father killed himself three months later.”
Ethan stared at her.
“So this was revenge?”
“At first.”
“At first?”
Claire looked at him.
“I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you.”
Ethan laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You expect that to help?”
“No.”
“Were you planning to kill me?”
Claire went pale.
“No.”
“Owen said—”
“Owen doesn't know everything.”
She looked toward Eleanor.
“The man controlling this is Victor Shaw.”
Eleanor recognized the name immediately.
Charles Whitmore's former business partner.
A man removed from Whitmore Holdings after Charles discovered he had been laundering company funds.
Eleanor whispered, “Victor.”
Claire nodded.
“He found me five years ago. He told me your family destroyed mine.”
“And you believed him.”
“Yes.”
“What does he want?”
“Control.”
“Of what?”
“Whitmore Holdings.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“How?”
Claire looked at him.
“Through me.”
She admitted that Victor had funded her new identity, arranged her introduction to Ethan, and gradually pushed her toward marriage.
The gala stunt was designed to isolate Ethan from Eleanor.
But the final plan was worse.
Victor wanted Claire to persuade Ethan to transfer voting rights into a new marital trust.
Then an “accident” would remove Ethan.
Claire claimed she had refused.
Ethan stared at her.
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Victor threatened Owen. Then he threatened you.”
Eleanor's voice remained cold.
“So instead you continued framing me.”
“I needed Victor to believe I was cooperating.”
“Convenient.”
“I know.”
Ethan turned away.
Claire approached him.
“Ethan.”
“Don't.”
“I love you.”
He faced her.
“You looked me in the eyes while I was sitting beside your hospital bed and lied.”
“I know.”
“You made me doubt my mother.”
“I know.”
“You turned our wedding into a weapon.”
Claire's voice broke.
“I know.”
Ethan shook his head.
“Love doesn't erase that.”
Claire wiped her tears.
“I didn't come for forgiveness.”
“Then why?”
“To finish this.”
She removed her engagement ring.
Victor had demanded that the wedding continue.
He planned to attend disguised among the event staff.
Eleanor slowly understood.
“You want us to hold the wedding.”
“Yes.”
“And let Victor believe his plan is still alive.”
“Yes.”
Ethan stared at Claire.
“You want me to marry you as bait?”
Claire looked down at the ring.
“No.”
May you like
She placed it on the table.
“I want you to pretend you still might.”
