Ethan Came Home With a Box of Pastries and a Letter Only His Father Could Read — Then Claire Saw Who Had Signed It
Chapter 4 — The Missing $80,000
The money disappeared over several months.
Payments were made from Harrison & Sons to unfamiliar suppliers.
Walter discovered the transactions shortly after Andrew’s death.
Several had been approved using Claire’s employee credentials.
“Why did you have company credentials if you didn’t work there?” Daniel asked.
“I helped during holidays.”
Claire handled invoices occasionally.
Someone had apparently used her login.
Walter didn’t believe her.
Neither did several relatives.
Then Walter found something worse.
A company check bearing Claire’s signature.
Twenty-five thousand dollars.
Payable to:
Weston Food Distribution.
Daniel recognized the surname.
“Your mother’s family?”
Claire nodded.
Except no such company existed.
Walter believed Claire had created it.
She insisted the signature was forged.
The argument became vicious.
Walter told Claire she had betrayed the family.
Claire left that night.
She changed her surname.
Moved to another city.
And eventually began describing Walter as dead because explaining the truth felt impossible.
Daniel stared at her.
“You couldn’t just say you were estranged?”
Claire wiped her eyes.
“At first I did.”
“Then?”
“People kept asking whether I wanted to reconcile.”
Daniel shook his head.
“So you erased him.”
Claire whispered:
“Yes.”
Then Daniel remembered the pastries.
“Why would Walter suddenly approach Ethan now?”
Claire looked toward the box.
“That’s what scares me.”
