Chapter 4
It bothered me more when Lily fell asleep against the car window and, without waking, reached across the seat until her fingers found the sleeve of my coat.
At four-thirty in the morning, I was still sitting outside Claire’s room.
Mrs. Alvarez brought coffee.
“You are worried,” she said.
“She is an employee.”
“She is more than an employee tonight.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means her child crossed a house full of doors looking for you.”
“She recognized my photograph.”
Mrs. Alvarez smiled.
“Children do not choose only photographs.”
I stared into my coffee.
“You know Claire well?”
“Better than you.”
“That includes almost everyone on the estate.”
“Good. Self-awareness before sunrise.”
I gave her a look.
Her amusement faded.
“She has always been careful.”
“With what?”
“Everything.”
“That is not an answer.”
“Then ask a better question.”
I waited.
Mrs. Alvarez lowered her voice.
“She changes when Victor Kane visits.”
I looked at her.
“How?”
“The first time she saw him, she dropped an entire tray.”
Claire never dropped anything.
“The next visit?”
“She switched assignments so she would not enter your conference room.”
“And the third?”
“She took Lily away from the estate for the afternoon.”
My pulse slowed.
Not from relief.
From focus.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because a woman disliking one of your business visitors is not automatically your business.”
Everyone in my life was suddenly obsessed with boundaries.
Before I could answer, Michael appeared.
“She’s awake.”
I stood.
“Five minutes,” he warned.
“You enjoy commanding me far too much.”
“It keeps me young.”
Claire looked painfully small against the white hospital bed.
When she saw me, her expression changed from confusion to immediate panic.
“Lily.”
“She’s safe.”
Claire tried to sit.
“Where?”
“With Mrs. Alvarez.”
Her eyes closed.
Relief moved across her face so visibly it hurt to watch.
“You collapsed,” I said.
“I know.”
“Michael found sleeping medication in your system.”
Her eyes opened.
I caught it.
Recognition.
Not guilt.
Fear.
“You know what it was.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“I am tired, Mr. Moretti.”
“Victor Kane.”
The color drained from her face.
“Your daughter said his name.”
Silence.
“She called him the bad man.”
Claire turned toward the window.
“I told Lily she was safe.”
Claire whispered, “You shouldn’t promise things you can’t guarantee.”
“I don’t.”
Her eyes met mine.
“You can’t guarantee this.”
“Try me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because people like Victor Kane don’t need to break through your gates.”
My skin went cold.
“What does that mean?”
“They get invited inside.”
By eight that morning, I knew three things.
Claire Bennett was hiding a history with Victor Kane.
May you like
My father was somewhere inside it.
And whatever secret had begun before Lily was born was connected to the Bennett Street warehouses Victor was suddenly desperate to own.
