Chapter 10 - Ethan's FatherEthan dropped the phone.
For a few seconds, neither of us moved.
Then the phone rang again.
I answered.
A man's voice said:
“Claire Bennett.”
“Yes.”
“You have your father's eyes.”
“Where is my mother?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Riverhouse.”
“Let me speak to her.”
A pause.
Then I heard a woman's voice.
“Claire?”
My entire body went numb.
“Mom?”
“Don't come here.”
“Mom!”
“I love you.”
A muffled struggle.
Then silence.
The line went dead.
I turned to Ethan.
“Take me there.”
“No.”
“Your father has my mother.”
“And he wants us dead.”
“Then we go armed.”
“He'll expect that.”
“I don't care.”
Ethan looked at me.
“You don't understand what my father is capable of.”
“I have spent my entire life grieving my mother.”
He looked away.
“I won't lose her twice.”
We drove north.
The old riverhouse sat beside the water, hidden behind tall cedar trees.
No lights.
No guards.
Too quiet.
We entered.
The living room was empty.
Then a voice came from upstairs.
“Ethan.”
His father.
Ethan froze.
A man appeared on the balcony.
Older now.
White hair.
Cold eyes.
Ethan's father smiled.
“You're exactly as disappointing as I expected.”
“Where is she?”
“Your mother-in-law?”
He laughed.
“In the basement.”
I raised the gun.
“Take me to her.”
He looked at me.
“Do you know why I chose you?”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
He walked down the stairs.
“Your father was brilliant. Your mother was stubborn. But you…”
He stopped in front of me.
“You were loyal.”
I stared at him.
“You built the trust around me.”
“Yes.”
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because people protect what they love.”
I understood.
“You wanted Ethan to marry me.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted him to control me.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“I wanted you to trust him.”
I looked at Ethan.
His father's smile widened.
“That was the only way to make you sign.”
“Sign what?”
“The transfer.”
“What transfer?”
“The ownership of Northstar.”
I felt cold.
“You never needed the money in my bank account.”
“No.”
“You needed the companies.”
“Yes.”
“And my signature.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Ethan.
“You knew.”
He shook his head.
“I didn't.”
His father laughed.
“That's the best part.”
He turned toward Ethan.
“You thought I sent you to protect her.”
Ethan said nothing.
“You were never protecting Claire.”
His father smiled.
“You were conditioning her.”
I felt sick.
“No.”
“You taught her to trust you.”
“No.”
“You made her dependent.”
“No.”
“And when the time came, she would sign anything you placed in front of her.”
Ethan stared at him.
“You're lying.”
“Am I?”
His father pulled out a file.
Inside were copies of every financial document Ethan had ever given me.
I recognized my signature.
My heart stopped.
I had signed them.
Contracts.
Powers of attorney.
Transfers.
Without reading them.
Because I trusted my husband.
Ethan looked at me.
“Claire…”
I stepped away from him.
“You did this.”
He shook his head desperately.
“I swear I didn't know what they were.”
His father smiled.
“He didn't.”
I looked at him.
“Then why?”
The old man leaned closer.
“Because the final document is already filed.”
My stomach dropped.
“What final document?”
May you like
He whispered:
“The one that makes your husband the legal owner of everything.”
