Claire was shaking.
“Not just anyone knew Emily would take that road that night,” Ms. Parker said. “And not just anyone stood to benefit from her death.”
Ryan let out a hollow laugh.
“Benefit? I’m devastated. My wife is in a coma.”
“Your wife changed her will,” Ms. Parker said.
The room froze.
Claire stepped back.
“That’s impossible,” she said too quickly. “She would never—”
She stopped.
Too late.
Never what, Claire?” Ms. Parker asked.
Ethan squeezed my hand tightly.
“Heard enough, didn’t he?” Claire muttered.
“That document is invalid,” Ryan cut in. “Emily wasn’t in her right mind. My sister-in-law can confirm that.”
“Emily was perfectly lucid,” Ms. Parker said. “She placed everything in a trust for Ethan. And she left instructions—if anything happened to her, neither of you was to go near him.”
That’s when it clicked.
They didn’t just want the house.
They wanted Ethan.
To control him.
To disappear him.
Something fell to the floor—a bag, maybe.
“This is getting out of hand,” Claire snapped.
Control.
That was always her word.
She controlled family dinners, finances, secrets—everything.
She stepped closer again.
“Maybe we should’ve made sure she never woke up.”
The air left my lungs.
A metallic sound followed.
Claire had taken something out.
“Enough of this,” she said softly.
“Claire, put that down,” Ms. Parker warned.
Ethan spoke before anyone else.
