Chapter 13 - Lauren Chooses Who to Betray
Ruiz had believed the real tape was safe.
It had been.
Until Lauren stole it from evidence transport.
She walked toward Daniel slowly.
“You lied to me.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Not now.”
“You said my mother died because of Thomas Bennett.”
Evelyn whispered, “Lauren—”
“Don’t.”
Lauren’s eyes filled.
“All my life, you let me hate Claire’s family.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Claire almost laughed at the cruelty of the repetition.
Protection.
The word people used when they wanted forgiveness for control.
Lauren held up the tape.
“My mother confronted all of them.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
“And your father followed her that night.”
Silence.
Daniel’s face changed.
Claire saw it.
So did Lauren.
“You knew.”
Daniel took one step forward.
“Lauren.”
“You knew your father ran her off the road.”
Evelyn gasped.
Eli looked at Claire.
Claire moved closer to him.
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Lauren recoiled.
“You said Thomas arranged it.”
“My father panicked.”
“And you built our whole marriage on a lie.”
Daniel reached for her.
Lauren stepped back.
“No.”
For the first time, Claire understood the true second betrayal.
Not Lauren’s betrayal of Claire.
Daniel’s betrayal of Lauren.
He had married a grieving daughter, fed her a false version of her mother’s death, and used her pain to gain access to Bennett Aerospace.
Claire said quietly, “Lauren, give me the tape.”
Daniel turned sharply.
“Don’t.”
Lauren looked at Claire.
Years of friendship lived inside that look.
So did years of deceit.
“I helped Adrian remove you.”
“I know.”
“I moved the money.”
“I know.”
“I thought your family destroyed mine.”
Claire swallowed.
“Maybe parts of mine did.”
Lauren’s face crumpled.
Then she threw the tape toward Claire.
Daniel lunged.
Adrian came out of nowhere.
He tackled Daniel before he reached her.
Ruiz’s team stormed the warehouse.
Evelyn pulled Eli behind her.
Daniel fought Adrian with desperate fury.
“Do you know what you ruined?”
Adrian pinned him long enough for officers to take over.
“Yes,” Adrian gasped.
“My marriage.”
May you like
Claire met his eyes.
For once, he did not ask her to forgive him.
