CHAPTER 7 The Brother Who Knew Too Much
CHAPTER 7 The Brother Who Knew Too Much
The name hung in the air like a weapon.
Caleb.
Adrian Westwood’s younger brother.
The person he trusted.
The person who stood beside him during the darkest days after Claire’s death.
The person who told him, again and again, to stop searching for answers.
Now his name was appearing inside a secret message connected to Claire’s final warning.
Adrian stared at Madison’s phone.
He read the message again.
“He found Claire’s evidence. We need to fix this before he opens the rest.”
His fingers tightened around the device.
“What does ‘fix this’ mean?”
Nobody answered.
Madison looked down.
Daniel Hart remained silent.
Margaret looked away.
That silence was enough.
Adrian slowly raised his eyes.
“Where is Caleb?”
No one spoke.
The question sounded simple.
But everyone knew it was not.
“Where is my brother?”
Margaret finally responded.
“He left earlier.”
Adrian looked at her.
“When?”
She hesitated.
“About twenty minutes ago.”
Adrian laughed softly.
Not because anything was funny.
Because he could not believe what he was hearing.
“Twenty minutes ago?”
He looked toward the entrance.
“Right after Emma exposed Madison?”
Margaret’s expression changed.
“Do not make assumptions.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“Mom.”
His voice was cold.
“You have spent three years telling me to stop asking questions.”
Margaret said nothing.
“Now every question I ask leads back to this family.”
The ballroom became uncomfortable.
The guests slowly began leaving.
Nobody wanted to witness a billionaire family collapse in real time.
Within minutes, the room became almost empty.
Only the people closest to the secret remained.
Adrian.
Natalie.
Rachel.
Emma.
Madison.
Daniel.
Margaret.
The people who mattered.
The people who had something to lose.
Adrian walked toward Daniel.
“You knew about Caleb.”
Daniel looked at him.
“I knew Caleb was involved in something.”
“Involved in what?”
Daniel remained quiet.
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“Do not test my patience.”
Daniel sighed.
“Claire contacted me.”
Everyone froze.
Natalie stepped forward.
“My sister contacted you?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three days before her accident.”
Adrian felt a sharp pain in his chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Because Claire asked me not to.”
The answer shocked him.
“She trusted you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you help hide this?”
Daniel looked away.
“Because she was afraid.”
“Of who?”
Daniel did not answer.
Adrian moved closer.
“Of Caleb?”
Daniel’s silence became an answer.
Margaret immediately stepped in.
“This is enough.”
Everyone looked at her.
Her voice became stronger.
“You are destroying your family based on rumors.”
Adrian turned.
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I am discovering what my family destroyed.”
Margaret’s face tightened.
“You think I would hurt Claire?”
Adrian stared at her.
“I don’t know anymore.”
Those words hurt her.
For the first time, Margaret looked like a mother who had been wounded.
But Adrian was too hurt to comfort her.
Not tonight.
Daniel reached into his briefcase.
“I have something else.”
Everyone looked at him.
He pulled out a folder.
“I kept this because Claire asked me to.”
Adrian immediately took it.
“What is it?”
“Financial records.”
He opened the folder.
Inside were documents.
Bank transfers.
Company reports.
Private accounts.
Adrian scanned the pages.
Then his face changed.
Because he recognized the company name.
Westwood Technologies.
His family’s empire.
His father’s legacy.
His own company.
But one account caught his attention.
A hidden transfer.
Millions of dollars.
Sent through a private account.
Recipient:
Caleb Westwood.
Adrian looked up.
“No.”
Daniel spoke quietly.
“Claire found this.”
Adrian stared at the documents.
“She thought Caleb was stealing from the company?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
Daniel took a breath.
“She believed he was covering up something bigger.”
Adrian looked confused.
“What?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Claire believed the money was connected to the night she died.”
The room became silent.
Adrian looked at Madison.
Then Margaret.
Then the documents.
Everything he believed was breaking apart.
“My brother knew.”
Nobody answered.
“He knew Claire was investigating.”
Still silence.
“He knew she had evidence.”
Still silence.
Adrian looked at Madison.
“And you protected him.”
Madison’s eyes filled with tears.
“I was trying to protect you.”
The answer shocked him.
“Protect me?”
“Yes.”
“By lying?”
Madison looked down.
“I thought if you knew the truth, you would destroy yourself.”
Adrian stepped back.
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“I loved you.”
The words echoed.
But Adrian felt nothing.
Because love without honesty was something else.
Something dangerous.
Suddenly, Rachel’s phone rang.
Everyone turned.
She looked at the screen.
Her face immediately changed.
“What is it?”
Adrian asked.
Rachel answered.
A few seconds passed.
Then she dropped the phone.
“What happened?”
Rachel looked terrified.
“It’s the police.”
Adrian frowned.
“Why?”
Rachel looked toward Emma.
Her voice shook.
“They found a car.”
Nobody moved.
“What car?”
Rachel swallowed.
“The car from the accident.”
Adrian felt his heart stop.
“That’s impossible.”
The police had searched everything.
The wreckage was gone.
The evidence was closed.
Rachel shook her head.
“They found it hidden in an old storage facility outside Chicago.”
Adrian stared.
A cold feeling moved through him.
Because Claire’s car had disappeared three years ago.
And if it had been hidden…
That meant someone did not want anyone looking inside.
Adrian looked toward the staircase.
Toward the room where Claire’s secrets had waited.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
He answered.
“Hello?”
The same mysterious voice from before spoke.
“Mr. Westwood.”
Adrian tightened his grip.
“Who are you?”
A pause.
Then:
“The person who tried to save Claire.”
Adrian froze.
The voice continued.
“But you need to hurry.”
“Why?”
Because the truth inside that car will prove one thing.”
“What?”
The stranger whispered:
“Your wife was not killed by the person you think.”
The call ended.
Adrian looked around the room.
Because for the first time…
He wondered if Madison and Caleb were only pieces of a much larger betrayal.
And somewhere in Chicago…
May you like
The person who truly destroyed Claire Westwood was still watching.
TO BE CONTINUED…
