Chapter 15 - The DivorceWe ran through the basement.
Gunfire echoed above us.
My mother stayed close.
Vanessa led us through a service tunnel.
Ethan was bleeding again.
“Are you hurt?”
“It's nothing.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I've had worse.”
I looked at the divorce papers still clutched in my hand.
“We actually signed.”
Ethan looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For everything.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That isn't enough.”
“I know.”
We emerged near the river.
A black SUV waited.
My father stood beside it.
The ledger was in his hand.
“Get in.”
I stopped.
“You stole it.”
“I saved it.”
“You left us.”
“I had to make them believe I escaped.”
My mother got into the vehicle.
Ethan looked at me.
“Claire.”
I climbed inside.
The SUV sped away.
For thirty minutes, nobody spoke.
Then my father said:
“You did exactly what they expected.”
“Divorcing Ethan?”
“Yes.”
“So what's next?”
“Martin Hale will move tonight.”
“Where?”
“To the trust.”
“The trust in my name?”
“Yes.”
“And Lucas?”
“He will arrive as Ethan.”
My stomach tightened.
“How do we stop him?”
My father handed me a file.
“By proving who the real Ethan is.”
I looked at my husband.
“He has DNA.”
“Martin controls the lab.”
“Then fingerprints.”
“Manipulated.”
“Legal records?”
“Compromised.”
“Then what?”
My father smiled faintly.
“You.”
“Me?”
“You know Ethan better than anyone.”
I shook my head.
“That isn't evidence.”
“It is.”
“How?”
“He knows he can imitate Ethan's face.”
“But not his history.”
My father opened the ledger.
“Your marriage contains thousands of private details.”
I stared.
“You want me to expose him through memories.”
“Yes.”
“That could destroy Ethan's reputation.”
“He's already divorced from you.”
I looked at Ethan.
He didn't object.
My father continued.
“Tomorrow, at noon, Martin will announce the transfer.”
“How do we stop it?”
“You confront Lucas publicly.”
“With what?”
“The compass.”
I looked at the brass object.
“What does it do?”
My father smiled.
“It contains the original access code.”
“The code to Northstar?”
“Yes.”
“And why did Ethan recognize it?”
My father looked at him.
“Because Lucas gave one to his father.”
I turned toward Ethan.
“You've seen another compass.”
He nodded.
“Years ago.”
“Where?”
“In my father's office.”
“What did it say?”
He looked at me.
“No matter where we go, I’ll find you.”
My breath caught.
The same engraving.
Two compasses.
One for Ethan.
One for Lucas.
They were keys.
But there was something else.
My father said quietly:
“The two keys only work together.”
I looked at the compass.
Then at Ethan.
Then I realized.
Lucas didn't need to steal my money.
He needed my compass.
And he would come looking for it.
May you like
Tonight.
At exactly midnight.
