Chapter 6 - My Husband Asked Me to Save Him
Grant requested to speak with me alone.
I refused.
So he agreed to speak with Rebecca present.
We met in a conference room the following morning.
He looked different.
No navy suit.
No polished confidence.
He wore a plain white shirt.
His hair was uncombed.
For the first time, Grant Ashford looked like a man whose last name could no longer protect him.
He stared at me across the table.
“How is Lila?”
“Safe.”
“I want to see her.”
“That will be decided through the proper process.”
His jaw tightened.
“You sound like your brothers.”
“No. I sound like someone who finally has a lawyer.”
He looked down.
“I deserve that.”
I almost laughed.
“Is this where you apologize?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
He looked up.
“I don’t want one.”
“Claire—”
“An apology is for something spilled. Something forgotten. Something said once in anger.”
My voice stayed calm.
“What you did was a system.”
He said nothing.
“You had files on me.”
“I know.”
“Photographs.”
“Yes.”
“Forged documents.”
His expression changed.
“I didn’t forge them.”
“Your safe.”
“My mother’s attorney had access.”
“Convenient.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“The truth started mattering to you after you lost control.”
That landed.
Grant leaned back.
“What do you want?”
“Why did you marry me?”
His eyes shifted.
“Because I loved you.”
“At first?”
“Yes.”
“And later?”
His face tightened.
“My father told me your family had financial influence.”
I felt cold.
“When?”
“Before I proposed.”
There it was.
Not the whole answer.
But enough.
“You knew I was a Mercer.”
“No. Not exactly. He told me your father had helped ours.”
“So marrying me was useful.”
“At first I didn’t care about that.”
“At first.”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“Claire, I became someone I hate.”
“That doesn’t restore what you destroyed.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“But I can help you stop my mother.”
Rebecca spoke.
“In exchange for what?”
“Protection.”
“For you?”
“For Lila.”
I stared at him.
He pushed a flash drive across the table.
“My mother has been using Ashford charitable foundations to route money offshore.”
“We know about Silver Vale.”
“That’s one.”
Nathan had suspected more.
“How many?”
“Eleven.”
Rebecca went still.
Grant continued.
“She has judges, lobbyists, accountants, company executives.”
“Judges?”
“One family-court consultant.”
I understood instantly.
“The custody filing.”
Grant nodded.
“She wanted control of the narrative before Claire activated the Mercer rights.”
I nearly stood.
“You knew?”
“I knew she wanted you out.”
“You helped her.”
“Yes.”
The word was barely audible.
I stared at the man I had once trusted with every vulnerable piece of myself.
“Why?”
His eyes filled.
I felt nothing.
“Because I was weak.”
“No.”
He looked up.
“You were cruel.”
He accepted it.
That surprised me more than denial would have.
Rebecca took the drive.
“What is this?”
“Records.”
“Copies?”
“Original exports.”
“Does Vivian know you have them?”
“No.”
“Edward?”
Grant’s face changed.
“My father is alive.”
“We know.”
Grant blinked.
I continued.
“He’s recovering somewhere. He may be trying to destroy the company.”
Grant stared.
“He contacted you?”
“No.”
“Then how—”
“Celeste.”
His expression hardened.
“Celeste lies.”
“So do you.”
He looked away.
Fair.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“Missing.”
For the first time, genuine concern crossed his face.
“Since when?”
“Yesterday.”
Grant whispered, “Then my mother has her.”
Rebecca leaned forward.
“Why?”
“Because Celeste knows where Edward is.”
I froze.
“She said she didn’t.”
Grant laughed bitterly.
“Celeste always knows more than she admits.”
He explained that Vivian had used Celeste for years.
But over time, Celeste became close to Edward too.
Not romantically.
As an informant.
She fed both sides information.
“She was playing all of you?” I asked.
“All of us.”
Including me.
Grant looked down.
“Claire, there’s one more thing.”
I waited.
“The silk wrap.”
“What about it?”
“I cut it.”
The room went completely silent.
Even Rebecca looked surprised.
I stared at him.
“You?”
“My mother needed an incident.”
“So you destroyed it.”
“Yes.”
“And Celeste accused me.”
“She was supposed to create a public argument. That was all.”
“But you took me downstairs.”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was angry.”
“At what?”
“That you wouldn’t sign.”
“And you decided fear would change my mind.”
He didn’t answer.
I stood.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For finally saying it clearly.”
I walked to the door.
“Claire.”
I stopped.
“I’ll testify.”
I looked back.
“Against your mother?”
“Against everyone.”
“Even yourself?”
He swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Then do it.”
I left.
Outside, Nathan was waiting.
“How bad?”
“Worse than we thought.”
I handed him the information.
He read quickly.
Then Theo called.
Nathan put the phone on speaker.
“I found Edward.”
“Where?”
“Not at the clinic.”
“Then where?”
Theo sent us an image.
A private airport.
Edward Ashford boarding a Gulfstream.
Nathan checked the flight plan.
Destination: Geneva.
Departure: ninety minutes.
Rebecca frowned.
“Why Switzerland?”
Daniel answered immediately.
“Banking.”
But Theo shook his head.
“No.”
He enlarged another file.
“The plane belongs to a company that owns data-storage facilities.”
Nathan looked at him.
“So?”
“So Edward isn’t going for money.”
Theo stared at me.
“He’s going for the backup servers.”
“What backups?”
“The complete Ashford archive.”
Every transaction.
Every email.
Every agreement.
Every secret.
If Edward destroyed or released them, he could collapse the company overnight.
And there was one more passenger listed on the flight.
Celeste Vale.
She wasn’t missing.
May you like
She was leaving with Edward.
Voluntarily.
