Chapter 7 - The House of Cards
I stared at the birth certificate, my mind struggling to process the impossible truth.
Ethan had been playing us all from the very beginning.
His explosive anger at dinner, the embezzlement, the framing—it was all a synchronized plot to dismantle the Cole empire from the inside.
"Margaret didn't adopt him out of love," Arthur explained, coughing weakly.
"She adopted him out of guilt, to cover up the murder of his real father."
"And Ethan found out," I whispered.
"Yes," Arthur nodded. "He has been draining the trust to fund a hostile takeover of the entire company."
I paced the hospital room, the pieces finally falling into place.
Margaret wasn't the mastermind; she was a terrified hostage trying to maintain control.
"We have to expose him," I said.
"The annual Cole Foundation Gala is tonight," Arthur wheezed. "All the board members and investors will be there."
"I have the ledger showing his stolen funds," I reminded him.
"It isn't enough," Arthur replied. "We need the confession letter Margaret locked in her private wall safe at the mansion."
I knew exactly where that safe was hidden.
Marcus drove me back to the estate, which was now completely empty.
Margaret was on the run from the police, and Ethan was presumably looking for her.
I bypassed the security system using the codes I still remembered.
I crept into Margaret's lavish master bedroom.
I pushed aside the large oil painting and quickly dialed the combination into the digital keypad.
The heavy steel door clicked open.
Inside, resting on top of stacks of cash, was a sealed white envelope marked 'Confession'.
I grabbed it and turned to leave.
Suddenly, a cold, heavy hand clamped tightly over my mouth.
An arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me completely off the floor.
"Did you really think I would leave the house unguarded?" Ethan whispered directly into my ear.
May you like
He dragged me backward toward the open balcony doors, the dark, deadly drop to the terrace looming below.
"Give me the letter, Claire, or you go over the edge."
