“This is ridiculous.
I have lawyers.
I have connections in this room.” She looked across the ballroom.
“Judge Morrison—”
A white-haired man near the back of the room looked away.
“Judge Morrison recused himself from the Ashland case six months ago,” Morrow said.
“He’s been cooperating with our investigation.”
Evelyn’s last ally in the room disappeared with that sentence.
Two of Morrow’s agents moved to either side of Evelyn.
She looked at Daniel.
“Tell them this is a mistake.
Tell them I—”
Daniel looked at his mother for a long time.
“You knew who she was,” he said.
“You watched me fall in love with her.
You let me propose.
And the whole time you knew she was Catherine’s daughter.”
“I was trying to keep you close to her.
To monitor—”
“To monitor me,” Claire said.
“That’s what this was.
The engagement.
The wedding.
You wanted me where you could watch me.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Her face had gone blank.
“Say it,” Claire said.
“I was protecting my family.”
“Catherine was your family,” Richard said.
“She was your sister.
She was twenty-three years old.
She had a baby.
And you sold her location to the man who was trying to silence her.”
Evelyn’s lip trembled.
“He said he just wanted to talk to her.
He said he wouldn’t hurt her.”
“And you believed him?” Daniel’s voice cracked.
“You believed a man who had beaten your sister for years?
A man you knew was dangerous?”
“I thought—”
“You thought about the money,” Richard said.
“The Ashland estate.
The trust fund.
The properties.
If Catherine testified, all of it would have been seized.
You would have lost everything.”
Evelyn’s silence was confirmation enough.
Morrow placed his hand on Evelyn’s shoulder.
“Mrs.
Prescott.
Let’s go.”
Evelyn pulled away.
She looked at Claire one last time.
