Chapter 5 - The Hidden Ledger
While Ethan carried Noah upstairs to his bedroom to rest his tired legs, Claire walked into the private study on the ground floor.
The room was dimly lit by a single desk lamp, casting long shadows across the mahogany furniture. Claire sat at the computer desk, inserting an encrypted flash drive into the central server terminal.
Two nights ago, while searching for Noah’s medical history forms, Claire had noticed a false panel behind the bookcase in Eleanor’s private sitting room. Inside was a small electronic safe containing not only vials of paralyzing sedatives, but also a hidden financial ledger.
The flash drive finished copying the encrypted files just as footsteps approached the study door.
Ethan walked in, his dark suit jacket removed and his sleeves rolled up, revealing the massive muscles on his forearms. He looked deeply exhausted, but his dark eyes burned with intense focus.
“Is he asleep?” Claire asked softly, closing the laptop screen halfway.
“He fell asleep holding his crutches,” Ethan said softly, his voice thick with raw emotion. “He asked me if he’ll be able to run in the park by his eighth birthday.”
Ethan walked over to the desk, standing over Claire as he looked down at her.
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“For three years, I watched my son wither away in a wheelchair, believing I was helpless,” Ethan whispered. “Why did you risk your job to help him, Claire?”
👉 Claire looked up into his eyes, her hazel gaze softening with deep, heartfelt sincerity.
