Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
I wiped my mouth, wiped my tears, and felt a dangerous, icy calm wash over me.
I was no longer the quiet, obedient daughter who looked the other way.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, shattering the silence in the car.
It was Vanessa.
I hit accept and pressed the phone to my ear, listening to her ragged, panicked breathing.
"Where is it, Claire?" she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.
"Where is what, Vanessa?" I replied coldly, playing her sick game.
"You broke into my house, you took the drive, and you are going to give it back to me right now," she screamed.
"You burned my three-year-old child to protect a murderer," I said, my voice eerily steady.
"I did what I had to do to protect my son!" she cried out defensively.
"You protected your bank account, Vanessa, and now everyone is going to know exactly what you are."
She began to sob, begging me to understand that our father would kill Caleb if the truth came out.
She told me that our parents were hosting a massive charity gala tonight at their country club.
"If you go to the police, Dad’s men will find us before they even issue a warrant," Vanessa sobbed.
She was right about the local police being in his pocket.
If I handed this drive to Detective Miller, it would disappear into thin air.
I needed to bypass the local authorities entirely and expose them where they couldn't hide.
"I'll see you at the gala, Vanessa," I said quietly.
May you like
I hung up the phone and backed out of the driveway.
I was going to crash the biggest party of the year.
