Chapter 40
Claude furrowed his brow. “What are you implying p>
Richard slid the documents Ronald had entrusted to him into his briefcase, making no move to share them with Claude.
As he brushed past Claude, Richard paused to ask, “If one of the three bodies you convicted for was Claire, would you regret putting your Kate before her p>
Richard’s voice grew hoarser and even trembled as he spoke.
Yet Claude stood his ground, firmly asserting, “Impossible. I never make mistakes with my cases p>
Richard asked again, “And the child she was carrying? Does that mean nothing to you p>
It took a moment, but I could hear Claude taking a deep breath before he solemnly said, “Kate already did some digging. That child isn’t mine. But I’m curious. Could it be yours p>
Richard stepped back, only to land a hook right on Claude’s face, making his lip swell up and turn red.
“You brute!” Claude’s disdain for Richard wasn’t new. He saw Richard as a cultural lightweight who had made his fortune through underhanded means, becoming a dark horse in the business world.
“You can’t insult Claire like that!” Richard glared, pinning Claude with a look that left no room for argument. Knowing better than to engage further, Claude stepped back, saying, “If she’s dead, we won’t bury her in the Hart family plot. So, she better not be dead,” before striding away.
I watched his retreating figure, committing to memory the kind of man he was in this life and vowing to make him regret his actions if there were ever a next one.
After briefing Ronald on his next moves, Richard was about to leave. In turn, Ronald instructed some plainclothes officers to follow.
However, I was curious about Claude’s next steps. Despite everyone telling him I was dead, he clung to his convictions. What drove that mindset?
Following Claude to the family estate, I found Gabrielle tending to the garden.
Her surprise at seeing Claude was evident as she put down her shears. “The net’s buzzing with news that Claire is wanted nationwide and
Kate’s kidnapping. What’s going on p>
en
Claude shook his head. “I’m exhausted. We’ll talk later p>
He had been up all night waiting for news about Kate.
IMS
“Kate will be fine. I’ve reached out to the Goodwin family. They’re on it,” Gabrielle said, surprisingly calm.
Claude nodded, having made contact with the Goodwin family.
“But what about Claire? Is anyone looking for her?” asked Gabrielle.
Gabrielle’s question made Claude halt in his tracks, touched by her concern. “Mom, you know how you feel about Claire. I don’t need to spell it out p>
Gabrielle was momentarily speechless, eventually saying, “Claude, I’ll only be at peace when we find her p>
Running his fingers through his hair in frustration, Claude answered, “Got it p>
He then retreated to his room and called me, which went unanswered.
It seke checking a box on a
to-do list. One call, and then Claude moved on.
Claude was leaning against the headboard when his phone rang.
“Mr. Hart, we’re still tracking Ms. Goodwin’s whereabouts. But in our
search, we discovered a
Love
sum transferred to an account named Daniel, amounting to a million. We suspect her
disappearance might be related to this transaction p>
Claude sat upright instantly, “Did you get any leads on Daniel p>