Chapter 6 - Claire Had Opened Daniel’s Folder
Claire stopped denying.
“Yes.”
Ethan stared.
“You accessed my father’s account?”
“I found password in old notebook after you moved out.”
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
“You said anonymous person sent videos.”
“They did.”
“Then why were you in folder?”
“Because after videos arrived, I wanted to know where they came from.”
That was plausible.
But login occurred one week before first package.
Claire had lied.
She admitted.
She had found Daniel’s dormant server first.
Inside she discovered:
old clips,
notes about Eleanor,
unsent drafts.
She copied them.
Then what?
She claimed she did not send package to herself.
Why would she?
To create external witness?
To build narrative?
To justify preemptive police call?
Evidence needed.
She did something else.
She set up auto-forward rule sending copies from Daniel archive to new encrypted account.
Then asked private investigator to review.
Investigator mailed physical copies back to Claire under anonymous cover to preserve source secrecy.
So “anonymous sender” was partly her own investigator.
She had framed it to Ethan as mysterious because she did not trust him.
That was manipulative.
But not necessarily criminal.
Then today’s unknown text?
Not investigator.
He denied.
Phone forensics showed different service.
Someone else knew Claire had opened Daniel’s archive.
Who?
Server access logs showed second login after Claire:
ADRIAN.SHAW.
General counsel.
Adrian admitted.
He monitored unauthorized access alert.
He saw Claire in Daniel archive.
Instead of notifying Ethan, he began investigating silently.
Why?
Because Daniel folder contained something about Adrian’s father.
Old general counsel:
Robert Shaw.
Adrian feared family scandal.
Here we go.
Daniel’s archive documented Robert Shaw helping Eleanor disguise foundation payments to Victor.
Adrian knew father had done “tax cleanup” but not extent.
Robert died five years earlier.
Adrian did not want expose.
So he copied flash-drive reference and tracked Rebecca.
Was Adrian fake Thomas Mercer?
Security images from Rebecca building showed man.
Adrian, fifty-two, gray hair.
He could match.
Rebecca identified him.
He had impersonated Thomas Mercer and taken Daniel’s drive.
Major payoff.
Why plant check in Eleanor purse?
Adrian denied.
Police searched office.
Found Mercer signet replica, Rebecca receipt copy, Daniel flash drive.
He admitted taking drive.
“I was trying to protect my father’s name.”
What was on it?
Eleanor’s confession.
Robert Shaw’s role.
Board memos.
And one folder:
CLAIRE.
Adrian had not opened?
He claimed no.
Police did.
Inside was Daniel’s recorded message to Ethan about Claire.
Not abuse.
Not foundation.
A warning.
“Claire has been keeping evidence of every family fight. Do not dismiss that as paranoia. Ask why she started recording before she ever met you.”
Ethan looked at Claire.
Before she met him?
May you like
Claire had been recording Mercer family before dating Ethan?
How?
