Chapter 7 - Ashford House
Ashford House was a private recovery residence Adrian’s younger sister, Claire, had entered two years earlier.
The family told everyone she was exhausted.
The truth was more painful.
Claire had developed a dependence on prescription medication after a car accident.
She sought treatment voluntarily.
Almost nobody else did.
Adrian stared at Evelyn.
“How does she know about Ashford?”
“I told her.”
“Why?”
“She asked why Claire never attended the winter board retreat. I thought she already knew.”
Adrian rubbed his face.
“Does Claire know Vanessa knows?”
She came to the estate an hour later.
When she saw the broken engagement photos still displayed in the foyer, she laughed without humor.
“Finally.”
“You knew?”
“Not everything.”
Three months after leaving treatment, she received anonymous messages.
Stay away from Foundation finances.
Or everyone learns why you disappeared.
She assumed the threats came from a gossip reporter.
So she stepped away from the audit committee.
Vanessa began attending meetings as Adrian’s “observer.”
Naomi felt the pattern lock into place.
Isolate the people who might notice.
Elena through forged invoices.
Marcus through stolen credentials.
Adrian through romance.
Naomi through humiliation.
“What did Vanessa want you not to see?” Naomi asked.
“I kept copies anyway.”
She produced Foundation vendor reviews.
Brighton Advisory had been flagged nine months ago.
Claire had written:
NO DOCUMENTED SERVICES. FREEZE PAYMENTS.
The next day, she received the first anonymous threat.
“I never saw this.”
“Because my recommendation disappeared from the board packet.”
Naomi asked:
“Who assembled the packet?”
Claire answered:
“Your fiancée volunteered.”
Then Claire looked at Naomi.
“She hated you from your first week.”
“Why?”
“You watched people.”
Claire continued:
“She told me you were creepy. That you stared at doors.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Doors matter.”
For the first time, Claire smiled.
Then she took out her phone.
“There’s one more thing.”
The anonymous blackmailer once sent a photo of Claire leaving Ashford House.
In the corner of the image was part of a black SUV.
Naomi enlarged the license plate reflection.
Registered owner:
Adrian whispered:
“So they watched my sister.”
“No.”
“They used the worst thing I ever told this family to make me disappear from my own life.”
Naomi understood that sentence.
Then Claire turned to her.
“And Vanessa wasn’t the only one.”
Everyone looked up.
Claire placed a second photo on the table.
A man stood beside Patricia’s SUV.
May you like
Marcus Hale.
The estate security director.
