Chapter 9 - The Mastermind UnmaskedEthan looked between the two Claires in absolute bewilderment. The woman on the bed suddenly sat up, ripping the electrodes off her chest with a smirk. She wasn't Claire at all; she was a decoy hired for the night's grand performance.
"You're confused, darling," the real Claire said, walking over to pat Ethan’s stunned cheek with a manicured fingernail. "Let me spell it out for you. Eleanor didn't push me out of hatred. We planned the entire thing together."
Ethan stared at her, the betrayal burning hotter than physical fire. "Together? You... you planned to frame her? But the trust fund... the abuse..."
"All a brilliantly choreographed theater," Dr. Thorne chuckled, stepping forward to adjust his gold-rimmed glasses. "You see, Ethan, the Sterling empire was drowning in federal debt. To clear the books and escape the upcoming SEC indictment for corporate fraud, Claire needed to officially 'die,' transfer all assets to a shell corporation under Eleanor’s name, and wait out the statute of limitations."
"But why involve me?" Ethan yelled, his voice cracking with anguish. "Why drag me into this nightmare?"
Claire’s smile faded into a mask of pure, unadulterated malice. She leaned in close to his ear, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper.
"Because we needed a scapegoat with a criminal record who loved me enough to take the fall for murder when we finally decided to 'dispose' of Eleanor and take the entire fortune for ourselves. You were always just the patsy, Ethan."
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Before Ethan could react, Dr. Thorne jammed a heavy syringe into the side of Ethan's neck.
A cold wave of numbness crashed over Ethan’s body. His knees buckled. As his vision faded to black, the last thing he heard was Claire’s chilling laugh echoing off the hospital walls.
