Chapter 2 - The Sister I Lost
“Terry?”
The nickname came out before I could stop it.
Tessa closed her eyes.
A tear ran down her cheek.
Nobody had called her Terry since she was seven.
Not since I was thirteen.
Not since the morning our father shoved her clothes into two garbage bags, put her in his truck and disappeared.
“Oh my God.”
My purse slipped from my hand.
Adrian stared between us.
“What?”
I barely heard him.
I walked toward Tessa.
She looked older, of course.
Different hair.
Different name.
Different posture.
But the little scar beneath her chin was still there.
She had gotten it falling from the apple tree behind our childhood home.
I had carried her inside while she screamed.
Our mother had pressed a towel beneath her chin while Dad shouted about blood getting on the carpet.
“Terry?”
She nodded.
I hit her.
One open-handed slap.
The room gasped.
Tessa didn’t fight back.
She only whispered, “I deserved that.”
“No.”
My hands started shaking.
“No, you deserved worse.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Claire, what is happening?”
I spun toward him.
“You slept with my sister.”
His face went completely blank.
“What?”
“You got my little sister pregnant.”
He looked at Tessa.
“You said your family was dead.”
Tessa laughed bitterly.
“So did you.”
“What?”
“You told me Claire was basically a stranger you were divorcing.”
I stared at her.
“You knew he was married to me.”
“Not at first.”
“But eventually?”
Her silence answered.
I stepped backward.
The betrayal doubled.
“You knew.”
“Claire—”
“You knew who I was and kept sleeping with him?”
Tessa’s face crumpled.
“It isn’t that simple.”
“That part is extremely simple.”
I grabbed my purse.
“Do not follow me.”
“Claire.”
I walked out.
Adrian followed me into the hallway.
“Claire!”
I spun.
“Stay away from me.”
“You cannot leave after dropping something like that.”
“Watch me.”
He blocked the elevator.
“I didn’t know she was your sister.”
“You knew she was your employee.”
“That’s different.”
I laughed.
“That’s your defense?”
He lowered his voice.
“She pursued me.”
Behind him, Tessa appeared.
“No, I didn’t.”
Adrian turned.
“Shut up.”
She stopped.
Something crossed her face.
Fear.
Real fear.
Adrian stepped toward her.
“You told me you loved me.”
“You told me Claire knew about us.”
His face hardened.
“I said shut up.”
I stepped between them.
“Do not speak to her like that.”
Adrian laughed.
“Five seconds ago, you slapped her.”
“She’s my sister.”
“She’s carrying my child.”
Tessa flinched.
I looked at her.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
The elevator opened.
Nobody moved.
I stepped inside.
Tessa followed.
Adrian reached for the door.
I blocked him.
“You are not coming with us.”
“Claire.”
“I mean it.”
His eyes narrowed.
“This is my family too.”
“No.”
The doors closed.
For several floors, Tessa and I stood silently.
Then she whispered, “I tried to contact you.”
“When?”
“I emailed you.”
“I never got anything.”
“I sent two letters.”
“Where?”
“To your house.”
My stomach tightened.
“Adrian gets the mail.”
She nodded.
“I know that now.”
We reached the lobby.
I walked outside.
Cold air hit my face.
Tessa followed.
“Claire, please.”
“What do you want?”
“Five minutes.”
“You had months.”
“I had twenty-three years.”
That stopped me.
She stood beneath the hotel awning with tears streaming down her face.
“You think I walked into Bennett & Cole knowing exactly who Adrian was?”
“Didn’t you?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I was recruited through an agency. I knew the company name, but Bennett is Mom’s family name. I didn’t know you kept it.”
“Then you saw me.”
“Not for almost three months.”
I frowned.
“I worked entirely under Adrian.”
That was possible.
I rarely dealt with executive assistants directly.
“He told me his wife barely worked anymore.”
My jaw tightened.
“He said you lived separately.”
“We didn’t.”
“I know.”
“When did you learn?”
Her hand moved toward her stomach.
“After I was already pregnant.”
I stared at her.
She continued.
“He took me to your house while you were traveling.”
Chicago.
A three-day investor conference.
“I saw a photograph in the hallway.”
“What photograph?”
“You and Mom.”
My heart stopped.
“The Christmas picture?”
She nodded.
“We were wearing matching red sweaters.”
I remembered.
I had been twelve.
Terry had been six.
Mom stood between us laughing.
“The frame had your name written on the back.”
Tessa swallowed.
“Claire Bennett.”
“Why didn’t you call me immediately?”
“I panicked.”
“That isn’t good enough.”
“I know.”
Her voice cracked.
“I had spent twenty-three years believing you never looked for me.”
I stepped closer.
“What?”
“Dad told me you didn’t want me.”
“That’s a lie.”
“I know now.”
“No.”
I grabbed her arms.
“You need to understand this.”
She stared at me.
“I looked for you.”
Her mouth trembled.
“Claire—”
“When I turned eighteen, I hired a private investigator using money I saved from working at a bakery.”
She began crying harder.
“I searched for six years.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Dad changed your last name.”
“Yes.”
“Why Lane?”
“My stepfather’s.”
I released her.
“Where is Dad?”
“Dead.”
The word landed strangely.
“When?”
“Four years ago.”
I felt nothing.
Maybe that would come later.
“He had cancer.”
“And he never told me.”
“He told everyone you were dead.”
Of course he did.
Our father had always preferred lies that made obedience easier.
I stared at her stomach.
“How far along?”
“Fourteen weeks.”
“Do you love Adrian?”
Tessa looked away.
“I thought I did.”
“Do you now?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
“What changed?”
“I found documents.”
I frowned.
“What documents?”
Her face tightened.
“Adrian has been moving money.”
My stomach dropped.
“From Bennett & Cole?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long?”
“Years.”
I stared at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was trying to get proof.”
She reached inside her purse and removed a flash drive.
“I copied what I could.”
I stared at it.
“There’s more,” she whispered.
“What?”
She looked toward the hotel entrance.
Adrian stood behind the glass doors.
Watching us.
Tessa lowered her voice.
“He wasn’t just having an affair.”
“What was he doing?”
“He was preparing to take your company.”
My heartbeat accelerated.
“How?”
“He needed you to look unstable.”
I froze.
“He told board members you were drinking.”
“I barely drink.”
“He told people you were emotionally collapsing.”
“Why?”
“Because the promotion dinner wasn’t supposed to end with you divorcing him.”
“What was supposed to happen?”
May you like
She looked directly at me.
“On Monday morning, Adrian planned to remove you from your own company.”
