Chapter 3: The Voice From Beyond
I stared at my phone.
The ballroom disappeared.
The guests disappeared.
Even Vanessa disappeared.
There was only one thought.
Someone had warned Claire.
Someone knew.
I immediately called the number back.
Nothing.
Straight to voicemail.
I tried again.
Nothing.
Grant watched me carefully.
“You’re letting grief control you.””
I turned.
“You’re scared.””
His face hardened.
“No.””
“Yes.””
I walked toward him.
“You’ve been scared since I walked through that door.””
He laughed.
“You think you’re some detective now?””
“No.””
I looked at my daughters.
“I think I’m their father.””
That shut him up.
The next morning, I took the girls to my private office.
It was the one place in the house Claire and I had always considered safe.
I locked the door.
Harper sat on my lap.
“Daddy?””
“Yes, sweetheart?””
“Did Mommy leave because of us?””
The question destroyed me.
I looked at her.
“No.””
“But Aunt Vanessa said…”
I interrupted gently.
“Vanessa was wrong.””
Mia looked up.
“Mommy loved us?””
I kissed her forehead.
“She loved you more than anything.””
Ella whispered:
“Then why did she leave?””
I had no answer.
Not yet.
Later that day, I searched through the company records.
Claire’s message had mentioned money.
I found transfers.
Small ones.
Hidden.
Too small to notice.
Too consistent to be accidental.
Thousands of dollars moved every month.
The destination account shocked me.
It belonged to a private foundation.
A foundation created by Daniel Cross.
I printed everything.
Then I heard a knock.
Vanessa entered.
“You’re investigating me?””
I didn’t look up.
“I’m investigating whoever hurt my daughters.””
She closed the door.
“You really think I would do this?””
I finally looked at her.
“I think you know more than you’re saying.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“You don’t know what Claire was like at the end.””
“Tell me.””
She hesitated.
“She was paranoid.””
I smiled bitterly.
“That’s what everyone says.””
“Because it’s true.””
“No.””
I stood.
“Because it’s convenient.””
Vanessa looked away.
Then she whispered:
“She found something.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
She didn’t answer.
“What did she find?””
Vanessa sat down.
“She thought someone close to her was stealing from the company.””
“Who?””
She looked toward the door.
Like she was afraid someone was listening.
Then she said:
“Grant.””
The name landed heavily.
I studied her face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
She started crying.
“Because he threatened me.””
For the first time, she looked genuinely afraid.
“What did he threaten you with?””
She wiped her eyes.
“He said if I talked, everyone would believe I was the one who betrayed Claire.””
I wanted to believe her.
But trust was something I no longer had.
That night, I checked the security cameras.
Most footage from the past year was intact.
Except one section.
The breakfast room.
Every morning.
Every night.
Deleted.
Someone had removed exactly what I needed.
I called my security manager.
“Who had access?””
He hesitated.
Then answered.
“Only three people.””
“Who?””
“Your wife.””
“Impossible.””
“Grant.””
I closed my eyes.
“And Vanessa.””
I ended the call.
Then my computer received an alert.
A file had been uploaded.
No sender.
No location.
Just one sentence.
CLAIRE WAS RIGHT.
I opened it.
A video appeared.
It showed my house.
The breakfast room.
Three months earlier.
And standing beside my daughters’ table was Grant.
Holding a plate.
Talking to someone off camera.
I turned up the volume.
Grant’s voice filled the room.
“She’ll never know.””
Then another voice answered.
A woman’s voice.
Vanessa.
I stopped breathing.
May you like
Because I finally heard what they had said.
“We just need Ethan to stay away a little longer.””