Chapter 6 - Richard’s Second Life
Claire confronted Richard with Natalie’s statement.
Not privately.
Maya Sloan, Claire’s personal attorney, sat beside her.
Detective Espinoza attended remotely.
Richard’s lawyer, David Kern, sat opposite.
Richard entered the conference room and looked at Claire.
“No Mia?”
“She’s at school with security.”
His jaw tightened.
“You hired guards?”
“I hired one licensed protection officer because a man connected to your former employer approached my six-year-old.”
Richard looked down.
Claire saw shame.
It did not move her.
Maya began.
“Mr. Cole, this is voluntary. You can leave at any time.”
Kern said, “We understand.”
Claire looked at Richard.
“Natalie says Vale sent you to me.”
Richard said nothing.
“Was that true?”
“Yes.”
The admission came faster than expected.
Claire felt a strange absence of pain.
Maybe there was too much already.
“What were you supposed to do?”
“Determine what Daniel told you.”
“And if I knew nothing?”
“Stay close.”
“For how long?”
Richard rubbed his hands together.
“Until Vale was comfortable the trust succession would happen without challenge.”
“You dated me for two years.”
“Yes.”
“You proposed.”
“Yes.”
“Was that part of Vale’s instruction?”
“No.”
Claire laughed once.
“You expect me to believe the proposal was authentic inside a fake relationship?”
“It stopped being fake.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s convenient.”
“I loved you.”
“You publicly removed me from my own gala.”
“I was terrified.”
“Of what?”
“The bracelet.”
“Because it could expose you.”
“Yes.”
Finally.
Claire leaned back.
“What was Natalie to you?”
Richard’s eyes moved toward Kern.
Kern said, “Answer only if you choose.”
Richard looked at Claire.
“Natalie and I were together years ago.”
“Romantically?”
“Yes.”
“While you worked for Vale?”
“Yes.”
“After you met me?”
Richard did not answer immediately.
Claire felt the answer before he spoke.
“Twice.”
The room became silent.
Claire’s voice remained steady.
“You slept with her twice while engaged to me?”
“Before the engagement.”
“Still cheating.”
“Yes.”
“Did you love her?”
“No.”
“Did she love you?”
“I don’t know.”
Claire almost pitied Natalie.
Almost.
“Why bring her to my gala?”
“Vale told her to stay close because she understood Orchid.”
“And you?”
“I thought I could keep both of you under control.”
Maya looked at Claire.
Power, ego, fear.
Always the same fuel.
Claire asked, “Why did you take my chairman keycard?”
Richard frowned.
“Operational access.”
“No. Why that night?”
He glanced at Kern.
Then answered.
“The foundation board was supposed to vote after the gala.”
Claire froze.
“What vote?”
Harrison had never mentioned a vote.
Richard continued.
“A temporary executive delegation.”
“To you?”
“To the gala committee first. Then me as interim operating director.”
Claire stared.
“You had a vote scheduled without the chairman?”
“The trustees had been told you were considering a leave.”
“I was not.”
“I know.”
“Who told them?”
Richard did not answer.
Claire’s phone buzzed.
Harrison.
She put him on speaker.
“Harrison?”
His voice was sharp.
“Claire, I found the draft resolution.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Harrison continued.
“It says you authorized temporary delegation of foundation executive authority due to grief-related stress.”
Claire felt sick.
Her grief over Daniel had been used.
Again.
“Signature?”
“Electronic.”
“Mine?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
Claire looked at Richard.
“You forged it?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Richard said nothing.
Harrison spoke.
“There’s more. The draft came from Thomas Vale’s office.”
Claire stood.
The foundation itself was part of the plan.
Not just Mia’s trust.
Natalie’s company had siphoned trust money.
Vale wanted control over Mia’s future trustee structure.
Richard was supposed to neutralize Claire.
And at the gala, they had tried to remove her from the foundation too.
“Why?” Claire asked.
Richard looked at her.
“Because the foundation owns the Bennett Archive.”
Claire frowned.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Richard’s expression changed.
“Your father stored original trust instruments there.”
Harrison went silent.
Claire understood.
The private archive was not merely ceremonial family history.
It held original documents capable of proving which versions of the trust were genuine.
May you like
Richard had not thrown her keycard away.
He had been trying to keep her away from the one room that could destroy the scheme.
