Chapter 11 - The Mother Who Chose Her
Claire confronted Evelyn the next morning.
Not at the family house.
At Thomas’s grave.
Evelyn arrived carrying white lilies.
She stopped when she saw Claire.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Claire almost smiled.
“At my father’s grave?”
“You know what I mean.”
Claire held up the birth certificate.
Evelyn’s face collapsed.
For the first time, Claire saw genuine fear.
“Sarah Hale.”
Evelyn sat on the stone bench.
“I loved you.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“I loved you from the moment I held you.”
“Where is Sarah?”
Evelyn began to cry.
“I don’t know.”
Claire stared.
“Thomas’s recording says Richard Mercer knew.”
“He did.”
“What did he do?”
Evelyn looked toward the grave.
“Sarah was frightened.”
“Of whom?”
“Alexander’s board.”
Claire shook her head.
“Stop giving me pieces.”
Evelyn finally looked at her.
“When Alexander learned Sarah was pregnant, he intended to recognize you publicly.”
“Then?”
“His business partners panicked.”
“A baby frightened billionaires?”
“An heir did.”
Alexander’s estate plan would have transferred controlling interest to his biological descendants.
Several executives had expected to inherit management power.
Richard Mercer was one of them.
Evelyn claimed Richard convinced Sarah that Alexander would take the baby away.
Sarah planned to disappear.
“Did you help her?”
“Yes.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
Claire felt nauseated.
Evelyn said Sarah asked her to hide Claire for several days.
Then Sarah vanished.
Evelyn waited.
Nobody came.
Eventually she told Thomas the baby was theirs.
“You stole me.”
“I was terrified someone would kill you.”
“So you lied.”
“Yes.”
“For thirty-eight years.”
“Yes.”
“And Julian?”
Evelyn’s face tightened.
“Richard found you when you were twenty-three.”
Claire remembered.
Twenty-three was when she met Julian.
“At a charity auction.”
“Yes.”
“It was arranged.”
“Yes.”
Claire’s eyes burned.
“Did you know?”
“Not at first.”
“But eventually?”
Evelyn looked down.
“Before your wedding.”
Claire stepped back as if struck.
“You let me marry him.”
“He threatened to expose everything.”
“So?”
“I thought you would hate me.”
Claire laughed through tears.
“You traded my life to protect your lie.”
Evelyn stood.
“I tried to protect you.”
“Eight million dollars?”
Evelyn froze.
Claire watched her expression.
“That wasn’t protection.”
Evelyn whispered, “That money wasn’t for Julian.”
“Then what was it for?”
“To keep your real mother hidden.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“What?”
Evelyn’s voice dropped.
May you like
“Sarah is alive.”
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