Chapter 2
I froze behind a row of tall hedges.
Emily's scream had lasted only a second.
But it was enough.
My hands were trembling as I reached for my phone.
I almost called the police immediately.
Then I remembered the note.
"You will see what you need to see."
Emily hadn't asked me to rescue her.
She had asked me to witness something.
I didn't know why.
But I suspected she had been trying to get proof for a long time.
I called Maya.
"Are you tracking me?"
"Yes. Claire, what's happening?"
"I heard Emily scream."
"Call the police."
"I will. I'm trying to confirm where she is."
"Don't enter the house."
"I won't."
I ended the call and moved carefully toward the service gate.
It stood slightly open.
Beyond it, a narrow stone staircase led down to the basement entrance.
I stopped when I heard voices.
Victoria.
"Open your mouth, Emily."
"No, Mother. Please."
"You know what happens when you refuse."
Then Daniel spoke.
My blood turned cold.
"Just cooperate. You're making this harder than it needs to be."
I pressed myself against the wall.
Daniel?
He had told me he was spending the night in Boston.
I leaned toward a small basement window.
Through a gap in the curtain, I could see a brightly lit room.
Emily sat in a chair beside a metal table.
Victoria stood over her.
Richard was leaning against a cabinet.
And Daniel was holding a folder.
A white bowl rested on the table.
Beside it sat a small paper cup containing several pills.
Emily was crying.
"I don't want them anymore."
Victoria folded her arms.
"You've been unstable all week."
"I'm not unstable. I just want to leave."
Daniel placed the folder in front of her.
"Then sign."
Emily shook her head.
"I already told you. I won't."
Richard stepped forward.
"That money belongs to this family."
"No," Emily whispered. "Grandmother left it to me."
My heart began pounding.
Money.
An inheritance.
A signature.
Suddenly, the entire dinner made sense.
I raised my phone and began recording through the window.
Daniel opened the folder.
"Emily, you are not capable of managing forty-two million dollars."
My breath caught.
Forty-two million.
"Grandmother knew what she was doing," Emily said.
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"Your grandmother was manipulated by a spoiled girl."
"She loved me."
"She was senile."
Emily lifted her head.
"She wasn't."
For the first time, I heard strength in her voice.
Richard slammed his hand against the table.
Emily flinched.
"Enough!"
Daniel moved closer.
"Sign the authorization, Emily. Then we can stop all this."
"What happens if I don't?"
He didn't answer.
Victoria picked up the paper cup.
"Take your medication."
Emily shook her head.
"It makes me dizzy."
"You need it."
"I don't even know what it is."
Daniel sighed.
"You're being dramatic."
The word made me physically sick.
I continued recording.
Then Richard said something that changed everything.
"If she refuses, have Dr. Whitcomb certify her incapacity. The court will put the trust under our control."
Emily began sobbing.
"No. Please. I haven't done anything wrong."
Victoria bent close to her.
"Then stop behaving like a criminal."
I couldn't bear another second.
I stepped backward and dialed 911.
I explained that I had witnessed a vulnerable adult being threatened and pressured to take unidentified medication.
I gave the address.
I described the basement entrance.
The dispatcher told me to remain somewhere safe.
I obeyed.
At least for the next thirty seconds.
Then the basement door opened.
Daniel stepped outside.
I ducked behind the hedge.
He was talking on his phone.
"She still won't sign."
A pause.
"Then prepare the commitment paperwork."
Another pause.
"Monday morning. Yes. Before Claire starts asking more questions."
My heart stopped.
He knew.
Maybe he hadn't understood my profession.
But he had noticed my concern.
Daniel continued.
"After the wedding, she won't be a problem either."
I held my breath.
He laughed softly.
"Trust me. She has no idea what she's marrying into."
He returned inside.
I backed toward my car.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A text appeared.
DON'T LEAVE.
THEY ARE TAKING ME AWAY.
I stared at the message.
Another followed.
PLEASE.
I called the number.
No answer.
Then the basement lights suddenly went out.
A side door opened.
Two men wearing dark jackets emerged.
Between them was Emily.
She could barely stand.
One man supported her left arm.
The other carried a small medical bag.
Victoria followed them.
"Be careful," she said. "We don't need another incident."
Emily's head lifted weakly.
For a second, she looked directly toward the hedge.
Toward me.
I stepped forward.
"Emily!"
Every head turned.
Victoria's mouth fell open.
"Claire?"
I kept my phone raised.
"Take your hands off her."
Daniel rushed through the doorway.
His expression changed when he saw me.
"What are you doing here?"
I ignored him.
"Emily, do you want to go with these men?"
Her lips trembled.
"No."
One of the men tightened his grip.
"Ma'am, this is a private medical matter."
I held up my phone.
"She just said no. And I've called the police."
Richard appeared behind Daniel.
"You're trespassing."
"Then explain everything to the officers when they arrive."
Daniel stepped toward me.
"Claire, you're making a terrible mistake."
I looked into the face of the man I was supposed to marry.
For the first time, I saw no affection there.
Only calculation.
"Actually, Daniel, I think marrying you would have been the mistake."
Distant sirens broke the silence.
Victoria turned pale.
The men released Emily.
She staggered.
I rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground.
Her fingers clutched my jacket.
"Don't let them take me," she whispered.
"I won't."
Daniel stood frozen.
Behind him, Richard reached into his pocket and removed his phone.
He typed something quickly.
Then he looked at me and smiled.
It was a cold, confident smile.
"You have absolutely no idea who you're dealing with."
I held Emily tighter.
"Then I suppose I'm about to find out."
The first police cruiser came through the gates.
May you like
And Richard calmly said six words I would never forget.
"Officer Bennett owes me a favor."
