Chapter 8 - CLAIRE'S SECRETClaire's message arrived at 3:12 a.m.
One location.
Nothing else.
I drove there alone.
An abandoned church outside town.
The doors were unlocked.
Claire stood inside.
Noah was in her arms.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then she walked toward me.
I looked at my son.
His tiny face.
His little fingers.
I wanted to take him.
But Claire stepped back.
“Don't.”
“I won't hurt him.”
“I know.”
“Then give him to me.”
She shook her head.
“You still don't understand.”
“What?”
“This started before Vanessa.”
“Before our affair?”
“Yes.”
Claire sat on a pew.
“Noah was conceived through IVF.”
I stared.
“What?”
She looked down.
“When we couldn't conceive naturally, I went through treatment.”
“I remember.”
“You don't remember everything.”
My stomach tightened.
“There were complications.”
She held Noah closer.
“I was told the donor records were confidential.”
“Donor?”
I stared at her.
“You told me the clinic used my sperm.”
“They did.”
“Then why isn't he mine?”
“Because someone switched the samples.”
My blood froze.
“What?”
“The clinic records were altered.”
“By whom?”
She shook her head.
“I thought it was a mistake.”
Then she pulled out a file.
“I found this six months ago.”
Inside were medical records.
The donor ID had been changed.
The original number led to one person.
Victor Carter.
My father.
I stared.
“No.”
“He used your father's frozen genetic material.”
My hands went numb.
Claire whispered,
“Your father is Noah's biological grandfather.”
My head spun.
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted a blood heir.”
“Why would he need that?”
“Because the company wasn't yours.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“Victor's partners built the company around a private trust. The controlling beneficiary wasn't you.”
“Who?”
Claire looked into my eyes.
“Noah.”
I couldn't speak.
“He was the intended heir,” she continued. “But your father needed someone to protect him until he was old enough.”
“And that someone was me?”
“Yes.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You married me because of Noah.”
“At first.”
The words hurt.
“At first?”
Claire cried.
“Then I loved you.”
I looked away.
“You chose Vanessa.”
“I know.”
“No, Ethan. You chose a woman who was planted beside you.”
I looked at her.
“Vanessa worked for my father?”
Claire nodded.
“She was monitoring you.”
“What about the affair?”
“She was supposed to make you reckless.”
“Why?”
“So you'd sign documents.”
“What documents?”
Claire handed me another folder.
I opened it.
A power-of-attorney.
A succession agreement.
And one final page.
My signature.
Giving Victor Carter complete control over Noah's trust.
I stared at it.
“I never signed this.”
Claire nodded.
“I know.”
“Then who did?”
She whispered,
“Daniel.”
At that moment, headlights appeared outside.
Claire stood.
“They found us.”
She shoved Noah into my arms.
“Run.”
“What about you?”
“I'll slow them down.”
“No.”
She kissed Noah's forehead.
Then she looked at me.
“I should have told you everything months ago.”
“What?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
May you like
“I knew Victor was alive.”
Before I could respond, the church doors burst open.
