Chapter 5
989 Words
Eliana's smile froze.
She hadn't expected Claire to have the nerve to speak to her like that.
Eliana had thought that once Claire saw what was happening right in front of her, she'd be heartbroken and finally give up.
Instead, Claire had dared to speak to her with such contempt—and even insinuate that Ethan had paid her for s*x.
"I'm the company's vice president. How dare you speak to me like that?"
"A vice president should act like one. I just heard Assistant Ryan say that no one but Ethan himself is authorized to access this document. Or are you saying the vice president is somehow above everyone else?"
Eliana wasn't stupid.
If the document was really that sensitive, she wouldn't dare joke around with it.
Claire saw her hesitation and let out a cold laugh.
She picked up the document from the desk and shoved it into Eliana's arms. Then she pulled out her phone and snapped two pictures.
"Then I'll leave it with you, Ms. Hayes. If anything happens to it afterward, that's got nothing to do with me."
With that, Claire strode out of the office without looking back.
The moment she left the building, it felt as though all the strength had drained out of her.
The weather was mild, yet a chill ran down her spine.
She thought about the security footage again.
Maybe the hotel room had only been an occasional thing.
Maybe sleeping together in the office lounge was what they did all the time.
She'd already known Ethan had slept with Eliana.
But seeing even more damning evidence hurt far more than simply thinking about the fact that he didn't love her and had cheated on her with Eliana.
The pain was sharper.
More brutal.
Just then, her phone rang inside her bag.
She answered.
Her mother's sobbing voice came through immediately.
"Claire, please! You have to save your brother!"
The moment Claire heard her mention her brother, she tensed.
"What happened to Henry?"
"He hit someone, and they tried to blackmail him. But now the person is dead! Your father can't find a lawyer. Go ask Ethan for help. He knows the best lawyer in town, James Carter. Mr. Carter will listen to him!"
Claire's mind buzzed from the sudden shock.
Henry was her only brother.
He was also the one person in the family who had always protected her.
When their parents had tried to marry Claire off to an old man for money, Henry had cried and fought with them until they finally backed down.
Right now, she couldn't think about the divorce.
Nothing mattered more than Henry.
He was the only person in this world who had ever made her feel truly loved.
After hanging up, Claire instinctively called Ethan.
She tried several times before he finally answered.
"What is it?"
"Ethan, something happened to my brother. Can you get in touch with Mr. Carter?"
There was a brief silence. "Mr. Carter?"
The moment Claire heard the hesitation in his voice, hope flickered in her chest.
"Yes. The other person was trying to blackmail him, but they accidentally got themselves hurt in the process and died. So..."
"Ethan, who are you talking to?"
Eliana's soft voice came through the phone.
"How did it go with what I asked you to handle? Why don't you have Mr. Carter take care of it?"
Claire froze.
"Ethan!"
"Why are you yelling?"
His voice was cold.
"Eliana's dog had its ribs broken when her neighbor kicked it. She needs to take legal action. Surely you can tell which matter is more urgent."
Claire's eyes instantly filled with tears.
"My brother's case involves a human life! How can you possibly think her dog is more important?"
Ethan didn't sound remotely concerned.
"Claire, if you're going to pull some sob story to get my attention, at least come up with a believable one. Who would be stupid enough to blackmail someone by risking their own life?"
He paused impatiently.
"Enough. I'm busy. We'll talk when I get home."
The call ended.
Claire's heart sank.
A sob story?
Was that really how he saw her?
She'd truly been blind.
How could she ever have fallen in love with a man like him?
She wiped away her tears.
There was no time to grieve.
She immediately called Sophie and briefly explained what had happened.
As soon as Sophie heard, she contacted a lawyer friend and had her go look into the situation.
"Claire, don't panic. If Henry has evidence that proves the other person was deliberately trying to extort him, there's still a chance. Go home for now. I'll call you as soon as I hear anything."
There was nothing else Claire could do.
She headed home in a daze, the series of blows leaving her mind foggy and exhausted.
Fortunately, only a few hours later, Sophie's call came.
"Claire, the lawyer looked into it. The case is definitely going to be difficult for Henry, but because there's evidence, there's still room to fight. Now we need to find more evidence. I already talked to my friend, and she'll do everything she can."
"Where's Henry now?"
"Still at the police station. He's okay. Don't worry."
The weight in Claire's chest finally lifted.
She let the tears fall freely.
The back-to-back blows had nearly drained her completely.
At least Henry was safe.
"But Claire, there's something else you need to know. The lawyer says the odds of winning a case like this are pretty low. You'd be better off finding someone with more experience handling cases like this."
"I understand. Thank you, Sophie."
Claire took a breath.
"I'll find a lawyer. In the meantime, I may have to keep relying on you and your friend."
After hanging up, it took Claire a long time to steady herself.
She was almost home when she spotted a familiar figure standing outside her door.
Her eyes widened.
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