Why Claire Ran
Chapter 05 - Why Claire Ran
Claire did not leave because she was guilty.
She left because Marcus threatened the babies.
Claire sat across from Adrian while the twins colored beside the window.
“Marcus came to my apartment the night you refused my call,” she said. “He knew I was pregnant.”
Adrian’s hands tightened.
“He said if I fought the charges, he would make sure the investigation included my father’s business and my medical records. He said children born to an accused corporate criminal could disappear into custody before I ever saw them.”
Adrian felt sick.
“Why did you believe him?”
Claire laughed once without humor.
“Because you believed him.”
The words silenced him.
Marcus had controlled Vale Meridian’s legal department. He knew judges, investigators, and private security firms. Claire had no money after her accounts were frozen. Her father drove her through the night to a small town in Michigan, where she gave birth under her mother’s last name.
Claire stared at him.
“Marcus told me you wanted no contact.”
Adrian remembered signing a stack of legal instructions after the theft.
One document authorized Marcus to intercept all communication from Claire.
May you like
He had signed without reading closely.
His signature had become another locked door.
