Chapter 3

It was one in the morning by the time I finished scrubbing the carpet and slipped out the restaurant's back door.

My phone buzzed.

It was a message from an unknown number. [Are you one of the Coopers?]

I didn't bother to reply.

My phone buzzed again. [Hey, this is Jack Foster, your dad's old business partner. Saw you upstairs at the Grand Crest Restaurant earlier.]

I stopped in my tracks.

I recognized the name Jack Foster.

My dad brought him up a couple times, said he was one of the few friends he could trust.

After the bankruptcy, I tried reaching out to Jack once.

He picked up, simply said "I can't help you," and hung up right away.

My phone buzzed a third time. [Can we meet? There's a café right around the corner from the Grand Crest Restaurant's back entrance.]

I hesitated for a few seconds.

I went there.

Jack was sitting by the window at the café. He looked to be in his fifties, with graying hair and an honest face.

When he saw me walk in, he paused with his cup halfway to his lips.

"It's been four years. Why are you so skinny now?" he asked.

I sat down across from him and let his comment slide. "Mr. Foster, why did you want to see me?"

He set his cup down and looked at me for a long moment. "Claire, there's something I probably shouldn't be telling you.

"But tonight, I saw Ryan stand up and walk in that private room. If I keep this to myself, I don't deserve to be your dad's friend."

"You were in that private room too?" I asked.

He nodded. "Ryan invited me. He's got a ton of connections now, and he's always hosting dinner gatherings."

I clenched my hands in my lap. "Mr. Foster, how long have you known he was faking it?"

"I only found out about three months ago. He invited me to dinner, wanted me to sell a piece of commercial land to Emily for next to nothing.

"I said no, and he stood up and toasted me. Emily was there too, and everyone at the table could see his legs were fine."

My throat tightened, and I couldn't get a word out.

Jack sighed. "Claire, there's something else you probably don't know. For the past four years, Emily's been telling everyone in your dad's old circle that the Cooper family went under because you took company money and blew it all gambling."

"What?" I was shocked.

"She said your dad found out before he died, and it pissed him off so much he had a heart attack. And she told everyone you're a disaster to your family, just like your mom."

I felt a chill run through me.

"So when I called you back then, you refused to help me because of that?" I asked.

Jack nodded heavily. "I believed her. Most of your dad's old friends did too. She spun such a convincing story. She even pulled out a screenshot of a bank statement, said it was you who moved the money.

"But the more I thought about it, the less it added up. Your dad loved you best. If you really stole the money, why would he put you and Ryan in charge of the company?

"Tonight, when I saw Ryan stand up and saw you scrubbing the floor in the hallway, it all made sense."

I kept my head down, pressing my thumbnail into my finger. "What do you mean?"

"Emily's not simply out to teach you a lesson." Jack looked at me, spelling it out. "She wants you gone from the Cooper family, for good."

The streetlight at the corner flickered, casting a dim, wavering glow.

I stood up.

"Mr. Foster, thank you for telling me all this," I said.

"Claire," he called out. "What are you going to do now?"

I didn't look back. "I'm going home first. Ryan's still waiting for me to heat up his milk."