Chapter 6 - The Night Bennett Finally Chose Clara
The ledger changed everything.
Federal investigators became interested.
Our attorneys became nervous.
Victor disappeared.
But before we could move against him, the news broke.
Someone leaked private medical records about Eleanor Hale.
Photographs of her in the hospital.
Details about her diagnosis.
Speculation about her death.
The media swarmed the mansion.
I was furious.
Mother was humiliated.
Clara stayed beside her.
At midnight, I found them together.
Mother was sleeping.
Clara sat beside the bed.
“You should rest.”
“I will.”
“You always say that.”
She smiled.
“I learned from your mother.”
I sat beside her.
“Why did you really come here?”
She looked at me.
“You know.”
“I know what my mother told me.”
“That's not the same as knowing.”
Silence.
“I came here angry,” she admitted.
“At me?”
“At your family.”
“Fair.”
“I thought your father murdered mine.”
“And now?”
“I know he didn't.”
“Do you forgive him?”
She took a long breath.
“I don't know.”
I understood.
Neither did I.
My father had built a brutal world.
He had hurt people.
But he had also tried to leave it.
Maybe people were more complicated than the stories we told about them.
Clara looked at me.
“I never expected to care about your mother.”
“She loves you.”
“I love her too.”
“And me?”
Her eyes widened.
I realized what I'd asked.
Too late.
She stood.
“Bennett…”
I caught her hand.
“Don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Don't turn this into another secret.”
She was silent.
“I don't want to lie to you,” she whispered.
“Then don't.”
“I came here because I wanted answers.”
“And you found them.”
“I found more than that.”
I looked at her.
She swallowed.
“I found someone I wasn't supposed to love.”
The world stopped.
I stepped closer.
“Clara.”
“I know this is complicated.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
“Why?”
“Because you're my employer.”
“Not anymore.”
“What?”
I pulled a document from my desk.
“I transferred your employment contract to the foundation my mother established.”
She stared.
“You're no longer a housekeeper.”
“I never wanted your pity.”
“This isn't pity.”
“Then what is it?”
“Freedom.”
I handed her the papers.
“You owe this house nothing.”
She looked at me.
“You're letting me leave?”
“If you want to.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Do you want me to?”
I looked at her.
“No.”
She smiled through tears.
“Then I won't.”
I kissed her.
It wasn't the kind of kiss people imagined when they talked about powerful men and forbidden relationships.
It was softer.
Uncertain.
Almost frightened.
Because we both understood how much we could lose.
Then the alarm went off.
Security rushed into the hallway.
“Boss!”
I pulled Clara behind me.
“What happened?”
“The east gate was breached.”
“Victor?”
“We don't know.”
We moved downstairs.
A car had crashed through the gate.
The driver's door was empty.
Inside the vehicle was an envelope.
I opened it.
A photograph.
Mother.
Clara.
Me.
And Victor standing behind us.
On the back was a sentence.
“You still don't understand who your real enemy is.”
Then the mansion lights went out.
Gunshots sounded outside.
Security responded.
Clara grabbed my arm.
“Bennett.”
“What?”
“Mother.”
We ran upstairs.
Her room was empty.
The window stood open.
My heart stopped.
“She can't have been taken.”
“She was,” Clara said.
I looked down.
A note lay on the bed.
“Bring the ledger to the old chapel.”
“Come alone.”
I turned toward Clara.
“No.”
“I know.”
“You stay here.”
“No.”
“Clara.”
“I'm coming.”
“This is dangerous.”
“So is leaving me behind.”
I stared at her.
She was shaking.
But she was not backing down.
We drove to the chapel.
The place had once belonged to my grandparents.
It was abandoned now.
Victor stood inside.
Mother sat in a chair.
She was pale but conscious.
Victor held a gun.
“You always were predictable, Bennett.”
I stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
“The ledger.”
I held it up.
“You wanted this.”
“Yes.”
“Here.”
Victor smiled.
Clara grabbed my arm.
“Don't.”
He laughed.
“She has courage.”
“She has more than you do.”
Victor looked at her.
“You're Thomas Reed's daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You should have stayed gone.”
“I don't run.”
Victor's face twisted.
“You're just like your father.”
Mother spoke.
“That's what frightens him.”
Victor's gun shook slightly.
“What?”
“Truth.”
Mother smiled.
“You were never afraid of the Hales.”
She looked at him.
“You were afraid of being seen.”
Victor fired.
The bullet struck the stone wall.
Chaos followed.
Security stormed the chapel.
Victor escaped through the rear door.
Mother collapsed.
I caught her.
“Mom.”
She looked up.
“I told you.”
“What?”
“Clara was worth protecting.”
I looked toward Clara.
She was standing beside us.
Tears in her eyes.
I realized then that my mother hadn't been trying to save Clara because of a promise to Thomas.
May you like
She had been saving Clara because she loved her.
Like family.
