Chapter 7 - Noah’s Question
Noah asked about Adrian that night.
“Why isn’t Daddy calling?”
Claire sat beside him in the townhouse kitchen.
“He has called.”
“Why don’t I talk?”
Claire’s heart tightened.
She had not wanted Noah pulled into adult conflict.
But silence created its own stories.
“Because Daddy and I are having a serious disagreement.”
Noah frowned.
“Like when you didn’t let me eat cookies for dinner?”
Claire smiled.
“Bigger.”
“Did Daddy do something bad?”
Claire thought carefully.
“Daddy made choices that hurt our family.”
Noah looked at the table.
“Savannah?”
Claire froze.
“How do you know Savannah?”
Noah shrugged.
“Daddy called her from the car.”
Claire felt cold.
“How many times?”
“A lot.”
“Did you meet her?”
He shook his head.
Then.
“She sent Daddy baby pictures.”
Claire stared.
“What baby pictures?”
Noah climbed down.
He retrieved his tablet.
Inside a deleted photo folder were screenshots.
Adrian had synced his phone to Noah’s tablet months earlier.
Savannah’s fake ultrasound.
Messages.
And one image Claire had never seen.
Ethan standing beside Savannah.
Behind them.
Aunt Helen.
Claire’s pulse climbed.
The photograph was dated four months earlier.
So Helen had been directly connected.
Not merely financing from a distance.
Noah watched his mother.
“Mommy?”
She softened immediately.
“This isn’t your problem.”
“Are you mad?”
“At you?”
“No.”
“Never for this.”
He nodded.
Then asked.
“Do we still have our house?”
Claire smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
“Can Daddy go there?”
“No.”
“Why?”
She thought.
“Because grown-ups can lose access to places when they stop respecting the people who live there.”
Noah seemed satisfied.
Then.
“Do I lose Daddy?”
Claire’s chest hurt.
“No.”
She moved closer.
“You don’t lose him because I’m divorcing him.”
“Daddy has to make choices too.”
Noah nodded slowly.
Claire hugged him.
Later, she sent the photograph to Maya.
Within an hour, Maya identified the restaurant.
Chicago.
Helen Whitmore had met Ethan and Savannah before Claire’s trust transferred.
Then Benjamin found something worse.
Helen had filed a challenge against Claire’s inheritance.
The claim said Claire’s mother had lacked mental capacity when creating the trust.
Hearing date.
Tomorrow.
If Helen won, the forty-six million could be frozen.
May you like
So could Claire’s Vale shares.
Someone had planned the timing perfectly.
