Chapter 5 - The Account Margaret Wasn’t Supposed to Touch
Margaret denied trying to access Claire’s accounts.
She denied it loudly.
She denied it repeatedly.
Then Andrew obtained the bank’s authentication records.
The request had originated from a computer inside Hawthorne Estate.
It had used an authorization document that expired two years earlier.
The electronic file had been altered.
Claire studied the report from Andrew’s investigator.
“Was money transferred?”
“No.”
“How much did she try to move?”
“Two million dollars.”
Rachel nearly dropped her coffee.
Claire remained still.
“Where?”
“To a Hawthorne family trust.”
Andrew nodded.
Claire looked out the window.
Margaret was no longer simply trying to keep the house.
She was trying to prepare for losing it.
Andrew warned her not to contact Margaret directly.
Claire agreed.
Daniel learned about the attempted transfer from his own attorney.
He drove straight to the estate.
Margaret was hosting lunch.
Seven women sat around the dining table discussing Claire’s supposed instability.
Daniel entered without removing his jacket.
“Everyone out.”
Margaret looked at him.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
The women exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Margaret forced a laugh.
“My son is under enormous stress.”
Daniel looked toward the guests.
“Please leave.”
Within minutes, they were alone.
Daniel placed the bank report on the table.
“What did you do?”
Margaret barely looked at it.
“I protected family assets.”
“They weren’t family assets.”
“Everything connected to this house belongs to us.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“That is exactly the problem.”
Margaret rose.
“You have let that woman poison you against your own mother.”
“My son nearly died.”
“He did not nearly die.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You still believe that?”
“I believe Claire exaggerated the entire event because she wanted an excuse to humiliate me.”
Daniel laughed once.
It sounded empty.
Margaret stepped closer.
“You need to remember who your family is.”
“My family is Claire and Noah.”
Margaret slapped him.
Daniel’s head turned slightly.
Neither of them moved.
Margaret had struck him countless times when he was a child.
Never hard enough to leave evidence.
Always hard enough to establish control.
Daniel slowly looked back at her.
For the first time, he did not apologize.
Margaret’s breathing quickened.
“You ungrateful little bastard.”
Daniel picked up the report.
“The bank is preserving the evidence.”
“Then tell Claire to withdraw whatever complaint she made.”
“She didn’t make one.”
Margaret froze.
“The bank reported it automatically.”
The color drained from her face.
Daniel finally understood why Claire had always kept financial control separate.
She had never trusted Margaret.
And Claire had been right.
Later that afternoon, Claire received an unexpected call.
It was Jonathan Hawthorne.
Daniel’s older brother had never been kind to her.
He had laughed on the terrace while Noah struggled.
Claire almost ignored him.
Then she answered.
“What do you want?”
Jonathan spoke quietly.
“You need to know something about my mother.”
Claire waited.
“She has been moving money for months.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why are you telling me?”
Jonathan hesitated.
“Because I thought Daniel was rich.”
Claire said nothing.
Jonathan continued.
“I thought all of this belonged to him.”
“And now?”
“Now I know that when your money disappears, our entire family collapses.”
Claire almost ended the call.
Then Jonathan said something that stopped her.
“There’s a safe behind the painting in my father’s study.”
“What’s inside?”
“Documents.”
“What kind?”
“Documents with your signature on them.”
Claire’s blood went cold.
May you like
“I never signed anything stored there.”
“I know.”
