Ethan Came Home With a Box of Pastries and a Letter Only His Father Could Read — Then Claire Saw Who Had Signed It
Chapter 5 — The Note Beneath the Pastries
Daniel opened the pastry box.
Croissants.
Fruit tarts.
Cinnamon rolls.
Chocolate pastries.
Then Ethan came back downstairs.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Mr. Harrison said there was something underneath.”
Claire stood immediately.
Daniel removed the cardboard tray.
Beneath it was a second envelope.
This one was addressed:
CLAIRE.
Her hands trembled as she opened it.
Inside was a letter from Walter.
The first line read:
I know now that you didn’t take the money.
Claire stopped breathing.
Daniel read over her shoulder.
Walter continued.
I was wrong about you, and I found out too late.
Claire sat down.
For years, she had imagined her father discovering the truth.
She had imagined him calling.
Apologizing.
Admitting what he had done.
Now the words were finally in her hands.
But the letter didn’t end there.
Walter had discovered old company backups while preparing to sell the bakery chain.
Those files showed something impossible.
Claire’s employee account had been accessed on several days when she was not even in the city.
The computer used belonged to the accounting office.
Only three people had regular access.
Walter.
The former accountant.
And Andrew.
Claire read the name twice.
“Andrew?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Your brother?”
She nodded.
According to Walter’s letter, the transactions blamed on Claire began before Andrew died.
And the last computer login connected to them occurred…
the morning of Andrew’s accident.
