Chapter 8 - CLAIRE’S MOTHER
Claire’s mother, Rose Bennett, had died five years earlier.
She had been a quiet accountant.
Nothing about her life seemed connected to the Hawthornes.
Richard said otherwise.
Rose had worked for Hawthorne Holdings for six months in the early 1990s.
She discovered that Eleanor’s father had transferred ownership of several properties from business partners who later went bankrupt.
Some signatures were questionable.
Some contracts had disappeared.
Rose copied records.
Then she resigned.
“Why would Eleanor choose me to marry Ethan?”
Claire asked.
Richard looked at her.
“Control.”
“If Rose ever left evidence, Eleanor wanted her daughter inside the family.”
Ethan stared at Claire.
“She married us to watch you.”
“No.”
Richard said.
“She arranged the meeting.”
“She couldn’t force you to fall in love.”
That distinction mattered.
But not enough.
Richard continued.
“Rose contacted me shortly before my accident.”
Claire’s chest tightened.
“What did she say?”
“That she still had the original ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“The document proving the Hawthorne Trust was built partly on stolen assets.”
Claire stood.
“My mother never mentioned it.”
“She was scared.”
“Where is it?”
Richard shook his head.
“She said she would hide it somewhere no Hawthorne would look.”
Claire suddenly remembered something.
Her mother’s old house.
After Rose died, most belongings went into storage.
One object remained untouched.
An old upright piano.
Rose had made Claire promise never to sell it.
Claire had never understood why.
Until now.
They reached the storage unit that evening.
The piano sat beneath a canvas cover.
Claire removed the back panel.
Nothing.
Ethan checked beneath the keyboard.
Nothing.
Then Claire remembered how her mother used to hide birthday money inside the bench.
She opened it.
Sheet music.
Old photographs.
A sewing tin.
Under the lining was a sealed envelope.
CLAIRE.
Her hands trembled.
She opened it.
Inside was a small black ledger.
And a note.
IF ELEANOR HAWTHORNE EVER LEARNS YOU HAVE THIS, DO NOT GO TO THE POLICE FIRST.
FIND SARAH WHITMORE.
Claire looked at Ethan.
“Who is Sarah?”
May you like
He remembered the underground photograph.
“The woman holding my father’s baby.”
