Chapter 7: The Witness Who Lied
I stared at the name until the letters stopped looking real.
Claire Bennett.
The woman who had hugged me at Adrian’s funeral.
The woman who had whispered that she couldn’t imagine losing someone she loved.
The woman who was now supposed to marry his brother.
The woman Adrian had apparently named as the driver involved in his death.
My first instinct was denial.
Not because I trusted Claire.
Not anymore.
But because accepting it meant accepting something worse.
That Adrian had died surrounded by people who knew more than they told me.
“Meredith.””
Claire’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I looked at her.
She was crying.
But I couldn’t tell if I believed her tears anymore.
“Tell me it’s not true.””
The words came out quieter than I expected.
Claire opened her mouth.
Nothing came.
That was the answer.
I stepped back.
“No.””
She moved toward me.
“Meredith, please.””
“Don’t.””
My voice shook.
“Don’t say please like you’re the person who comforted me.””
Her face collapsed.
“I was.””
“No.””
I looked at the paper in my hand.
“You were pretending.””
“I wasn’t.””
“You stood next to me while they buried him.””
“I know.””
“You held my hand.””
“I know.””
“You looked me in the eyes and told me you were sorry.””
“I was sorry.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
Claire closed her eyes.
“Because I was afraid.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone is afraid.””
I looked around the room.
“Everyone has an excuse.””
Julian stepped between us.
“Meredith, listen to her.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because it’s complicated.””
“Of course it is.””
My voice rose.
“Everything with your family is complicated.””
Colleen flinched.
Julian looked exhausted.
But I didn’t care anymore.
I had spent three months protecting their grief.
Nobody had protected mine.
Victor took the report from my hand.
“There is more.””
I looked at him.
“More?””
He nodded.
“The report doesn’t say Claire caused the accident.””
I froze.
“What?””
“It says Adrian identified her vehicle.””
I looked back at the page.
“But she was there.””
“Yes.””
“So she lied.””
Claire whispered:
“Yes.””
Everyone looked at her.
She wiped her tears.
“I lied.””
The honesty was almost worse.
“Why?””
She looked at me.
“Because I thought telling the truth would destroy everything.””
I stared.
“Everything?””
“My family. Colleen. Julian.””
“And Adrian?””
Her face crumpled.
“I never wanted Adrian to die.””
I looked away.
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
She nodded slowly.
“No.””
“Why were you driving that night?””
Silence.
Then Claire said:
“Because Adrian called me.””
The room changed.
“Why would Adrian call you?””
Claire looked down.
“Because he knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That Colleen wasn’t the only person involved.””
I looked at Colleen.
She looked away.
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
Claire took a breath.
“Adrian found out about the money.””
“I know.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“You know about the transfer.””
She looked at me.
“You don’t know why it happened.””
I frowned.
“Then tell me.””
Claire looked at Julian.
He gave a small nod.
Like he already knew this moment was coming.
“Colleen didn’t take the money for herself.””
My eyes moved toward Colleen.
“Then who was it for?””
Claire swallowed.
“My father.””
The room went silent.
“Your father?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because he was being threatened.””
I stared.
“By who?””
Claire looked at Victor.
Nobody spoke.
Then Victor answered.
“Someone who wanted control of Parker Financial.””
My mind raced.
“What does that have to do with Adrian?””
Victor’s expression darkened.
“Adrian was going to become the new head of the company.””
I blinked.
“What?””
Julian nodded.
“After our father retired, Adrian was supposed to take over.””
I looked at him.
“But he never told me that.””
“He didn’t want your life tied to the company.””
That sounded exactly like Adrian.
He always separated my world from his problems.
I hated that I understood him even now.
“Then why was he investigating?””
Julian answered.
“Because he found financial irregularities before he took control.””
“And he thought Claire’s father was involved.””
“Yes.””
Claire looked down.
“He was right.””
I stared.
“But then why were you at the scene?””
Claire took a shaky breath.
“Because I was trying to stop him.””
The words hit me.
“You were trying to stop him?””
“Not hurt him.””
“That’s what everyone says.””
“I know.””
She wiped her face.
“I followed him after he left Colleen’s house.””
My heart sank.
“You followed him?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I wanted to talk to him.””
“About what?””
“The money.””
She looked ashamed.
“I wanted him to understand that my father wasn’t a criminal.””
“And did he?””
“No.””
Claire’s voice broke.
“He told me he had proof.””
“What proof?””
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“He wouldn’t tell me.””
She looked at the floor.
“He said if anything happened to him, the evidence would go to the person he trusted most.””
My heart tightened.
“Me.””
Claire nodded.
“Yes.””
The room became quiet.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
The box.
The letter.
The warning.
Adrian wasn’t trying to hide me from the truth.
He was trying to make sure the truth reached me.
I looked at Claire.
“So what happened on the road?””
Her face changed.
Pain.
Real pain.
“I lost control.””
My breath caught.
“What?””
“I was following him.””
She swallowed.
“It was raining.””
I waited.
“My car slid.””
Nobody moved.
“I hit his back bumper.””
The room was silent.
“He lost control.””
My hands shook.
“You caused the crash.””
Claire closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
A thousand emotions hit me at once.
Anger.
Grief.
Confusion.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to ask why.
I wanted Adrian back.
But the only thing I could say was:
“Did he know?””
Claire looked at me.
“What?””
“Did Adrian know it was you?””
She hesitated.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“He got out of his car.””
I stopped breathing.
“He was alive?””
Claire nodded.
“For a few minutes.””
The world blurred.
“No.””
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You’re saying he was alive after the crash?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you call for help?””
Claire started crying harder.
“I did.””
“Then what happened?””
She looked at Colleen.
And I knew.
Before she spoke.
I knew.
“Someone else arrived.””
The room froze.
“Who?””
Claire whispered:
“Julian.””
I turned slowly.
Julian looked like he had been punched.
“Meredith…”
“No.””
I stepped away.
“Don’t.””
He looked devastated.
“I can explain.””
“Did you go there?””
“Yes.””
“After the crash?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked at his mother.
Then at Claire.
Then at me.
“Because Adrian called me.””
My heart stopped.
“Adrian called you?””
Julian nodded.
“He was hurt.””
“What did he say?””
Julian’s eyes filled with tears.
“He said he needed my help.””
“And you went.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you let him die?””
The question destroyed him.
His face broke.
“I didn’t.””
“Then what happened?””
Julian looked at me.
And for the first time, I saw the truth in his expression.
Not guilt.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Regret.
“Because when I got there…”
He swallowed.
“Adrian wasn’t worried about himself.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“He was worried about you.””
My heart stopped.
“What did he say?””
Julian looked down.
“He told me someone was trying to frame you.””
The wind outside moved through the trees.
“He told me to protect you.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“No, because if that’s true, why didn’t you tell me?””
Julian couldn’t answer.
“Why?””
His voice was barely audible.
“Because Adrian died before he could tell me who it was.””
I stared.
“What?””
Julian looked at the floor.
“He grabbed my hand.””
A tear fell from his face.
“And he said one name.””
My heart pounded.
“Whose name?””
Julian looked up.
His eyes met mine.
And then he said:
“The person who wanted you blamed was not someone from our family.””
A pause.
“Meredith, it was someone who knew you better than anyone.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
Julian opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, the ballroom lights suddenly went out.
Everyone screamed.
The room plunged into darkness.
Then a phone rang.
Not mine.
Not Julian’s.
Not Colleen’s.
It was coming from the box Adrian left behind.
May you like
And when I opened it, the screen showed a single message:
*PLAY THIS BEFORE YOU TRUST ANYONE.*
