Chapter 5 - Claire at the Boathouse
Dominic entered the abandoned marina alone.
A transmitter was hidden beneath his shirt.
The steel case in his hand contained copies of Elena’s records.
The original files remained with federal investigators.
Fog moved across the river.
The boathouse stood at the end of a damaged wooden pier.
One yellow bead rested beside the entrance.
Harper had marked the location.
Dominic opened the door.
Claire stood near the stained-glass window.
Harper sat on the floor beside her.
The knife was no longer visible, but Claire kept one hand inside her coat.
Nathan was nowhere in sight.
“Where is he?” Dominic asked.
“He is watching.”
“Through the camera?”
Claire glanced upward.
A small lens was mounted near the ceiling.
Dominic placed the case on a table.
“Let Harper come to me.”
“I cannot.”
“Nathan will kill me.”
“Nathan left you here to die.”
“No.”
“He loves me.”
“He loved having someone willing to commit crimes for him.”
Claire’s face tightened.
“You do not understand our relationship.”
“I understand he remained hidden while you kidnapped a child.”
Claire looked toward Harper.
“She was never supposed to be hurt.”
“You locked her mother in a concrete room.”
“That was Nathan’s decision.”
“You helped.”
“Mia found the ledger.”
“So you believed she deserved to die?”
Claire began shaking.
“She was supposed to remain there for one night.”
“Nathan said he would arrange an accident.”
“What kind of accident?”
“A fall.”
“A fire.”
“I do not know.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“You knew Nathan killed Elena.”
“I did not know everything.”
“You followed her on the mountain road.”
Claire’s breathing stopped.
“How did you—”
“Elena recorded you.”
Claire closed her eyes.
For several seconds, only the river moved outside.
Then she spoke.
“Nathan told me Elena was stealing from the foundation.”
“He said she planned to blame us.”
“Us?”
“He had placed my name on two companies.”
“I thought they were legitimate consulting firms.”
“When I learned the truth, it was too late.”
“No.”
“You could have told Elena.”
“You could have told me.”
“You chose Nathan.”
Claire’s voice rose.
“You never saw me.”
“Nathan did.”
“Nathan saw what he could use.”
A speaker near the ceiling clicked.
Nathan’s voice filled the boathouse.
“Careful, Claire.”
“You are beginning to sound regretful.”
Claire looked upward.
“Nathan.”
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“You said you would come.”
“I said Dominic would come.”
“You were supposed to collect the files.”
Claire’s face collapsed.
“You planned to leave me.”
Nathan laughed softly.
“You became unreliable the moment you allowed the maid to survive.”
Harper slowly moved one hand toward her pocket.
Dominic watched without turning his head.
Claire continued staring at the camera.
“I did everything for you.”
“You did everything for yourself.”
“You wanted Dominic’s name.”
“You wanted Elena’s house.”
“You wanted to become the woman people noticed.”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“You pushed Elena off the road.”
Nathan said nothing.
Dominic stepped forward.
“Tell her the truth.”
“You cut the brake line.”
“You ordered Claire to follow.”
“You used her because you did not want your own hands near the crash.”
Nathan’s voice became cold.
“Open the case.”
Dominic lifted the lid.
The copies were visible.
Nathan paused.
“Those are not originals.”
“No.”
Claire looked at Dominic.
“You tricked us.”
“No.”
“Nathan tricked you.”
A red light began blinking beneath the table.
Serena’s voice sounded inside Dominic’s earpiece.
“Explosive device detected.”
Dominic reached for Harper.
Claire pulled the knife from her coat.
The child dropped a yellow bead.
Claire glanced down.
Harper ran.
Dominic caught her and turned toward the door.
“Claire, move.”
Claire remained frozen beneath the camera.
“Nathan would not—”
The explosion tore through the back wall.
Dominic covered Harper with his body.
Glass rained across his coat.
May you like
The floor beneath Claire collapsed.
She disappeared into the river below.
