Chapter 7 - The Hospital Transcript
Mark's hands began to shake violently against the marble countertop.
"He... he spoke to you?" Mark stammered, his breath catching in his throat.
"He recorded thirty-two audio files detailing how Eleanor rigged the board elections in 2018," Clara explained, pulling her phone out.
She pressed a button on the screen, letting a frail, oxygen-assisted male voice fill the dim kitchen.
"Mark is weak... Eleanor will break him if he doesn't break her first..." the old man's voice rasped through the speaker.
"Give everything to Clara... she is the only one with enough steel to protect the child..."
The recording faded into static, leaving Mark staring at his wife as if she were a total stranger.
"He knew you would betray us," Mark whispered, tears of rage finally welling in his dark eyes.
"He knew your mother would destroy anyone who stood between her and the family fortune," Clara countered fiercely. "Even her own granddaughter."
Mark stood up slowly, pushing his chair back with a harsh scraping noise against the tile floor.
"You think you've won, Clara," Mark said, his tone dropping into a dangerous, low register. "But you forgot who controls the local police force."
May you like
Before Clara could react, the front gates of the estate buzzed loudly, signalling the arrival of two local patrol cars.
---
