Chapter 5
Claire almost hit Julian.
Not because she believed he lied.
Because she wanted him to.
“My uncle?”
Julian nodded.
“Why?”
“He thought Andrew and I had found something that would destroy both families.”
“What?”
Julian looked toward the tapes.
“Not yet.”
Claire’s expression hardened.
“Stop deciding when I get truth.”
That landed.
Julian lowered his hand.
“You’re right.”
He released the tape.
Claire inserted it into the recorder.
Andrew’s voice filled the room.
Older than in the photograph.
Tired.
“If Julian is hearing this, then Thomas probably moved first.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Andrew continued.
“Claire can never know until she’s ready to take the organization.”
Victoria smiled faintly.
Claire heard.
Ignored it.
Andrew’s voice:
“Thomas has been selling Bennett access for years.”
“Not money.”
“Information.”
“Routes.”
“Names.”
“Family weaknesses.”
Claire’s face went cold.
Her uncle had been the one teaching her caution.
Warning her about leaks.
Andrew continued.
“He works through Gabriel.”
Gabriel stopped smiling.
Victoria turned toward him.
Interesting.
Andrew:
“Gabriel feeds selected pieces into Vescari channels.”
“Victoria decides which ones become pressure.”
“Thomas receives whatever he asks for from Bennett.”
Claire looked at Gabriel.
He shrugged.
“Old tape.”
Andrew’s voice continued.
“Julian found out because Gabriel used his security clearance.”
Julian looked down.
“So did I.”
Andrew said.
“Then we made the mistake of confronting them separately.”
Claire listened.
“Victoria convinced Julian their father would handle it.”
“Thomas convinced me Claire was being watched.”
“So we waited.”
Pause.
“That was the trap.”
Claire stared at Thomas’s photograph.
Her uncle had used her against Andrew.
Made him afraid telling her would endanger her.
Andrew continued.
“The night of Julian’s crash, Gabriel caught me in the warehouse.”
“Thomas arrived before Julian.”
“He wanted the tape.”
Claire looked at Gabriel.
He smiled.
“Still listening?”
Andrew’s voice:
“Gabriel beat me until I told him the copy was gone.”
Julian’s hands tightened.
Claire looked at him.
Now she understood.
Andrew had been injured before the car.
Julian came.
Tried to get him out.
Then the crash.
Andrew continued.
“Julian drove.”
“Thomas’s car hit us from the side.”
Julian closed his eyes.
Claire’s face hardened.
“He did not cause the crash.”
Gabriel said nothing.
Andrew continued.
“Julian lost the use of his legs.”
“I walked away because he pushed me out before the car rolled.”
Claire stared at Julian.
He looked away.
Andrew’s voice softened.
“He saved me.”
Silence.
Then:
“And I let his family believe he failed.”
Julian’s face tightened.
Claire understood the guilt.
Andrew had survived.
Julian paid.
Andrew continued.
“I should have gone public inside the families.”
“I didn’t.”
“Because I was scared Thomas would go after Claire.”
Pause.
“That fear cost Julian years.”
Claire breathed slowly.
Then Andrew said something that changed everything.
“Victoria was not part of the original leak.”
Victoria looked up sharply.
Gabriel turned.
Claire stared.
The tape continued:
“She joined later.”
“After the crash.”
“After she realized Gabriel could make Julian dependent.”
Julian’s face changed.
Victoria whispered:
“Turn it off.”
Claire did not.
Andrew:
“She spent years telling Julian he was helpless.”
“Telling him every danger required her.”
“Every business meeting needed Gabriel.”
“Every route needed approval.”
Claire looked at Julian.
He did not meet her eyes.
Andrew continued:
“They didn’t just injure him.”
“They built a life around the injury.”
Victoria lunged toward the recorder.
Claire blocked her.
Victoria screamed:
“Turn it off!”
Claire looked at her.
May you like
Andrew’s final sentence played behind them.
“If Julian ever believes he needs Victoria to survive, then the accident never really ended.”
