Chapter 1 - THE TAPE PLAYSThe emergency room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence as the miniature speaker on Officer Thompson’s device crackled to life.
“Just make it look convincing, Beckett,” Mary’s voice echoed sharply through the room. “A few scratches on your face, tear your jacket sleeve. The police always believe a terrified husband over a woman with a history of 'instability'.”
“She’s not giving up the company, Mom,” Beckett’s audio-recorded voice replied, cold and unbothered. “We don't have a choice.”
“Then end it,” Mary said softly. “Not the face this time. We need the marks on her throat to look self-inflicted—or better yet, proof that you were defending yourself.”
A heavy thud sounded through the speaker, followed by my sudden, desperate gasp for air.
“You’re finished, Clara,” Beckett whispered dangerously close to the microphone. “By tomorrow morning, I’ll own everything your father built.”
The audio cut off with the sound of rain beating against the pavement.
In the ER bay, no one moved.
Officer Thompson stared at Beckett, his hand resting firmly on his holster. The faux-grief on Beckett’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a pale, hollow shock.
“Mr. Vance,” Thompson said, his voice dropping into a dangerous register. “Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
“Wait!” Mary stepped in front of her son, her hands raised, her refined posture crumbling into panic. “That audio is fabricated! She’s an engineer—she uses AI tools! She synthesized our voices to frame us!”
“Ma’am, step back right now,” Thompson warned, pulling his handcuffs from his belt.
Beckett backed away, his eyes darting frantically toward the glass sliding doors of the emergency room. “Clara, tell them! Tell them you forged it!”
I couldn’t speak. The bruised cartilage in my throat burned like fire, but I forced my eyes open wide, staring directly into his. I let him see the cold, unyielding truth: The hunted was now the hunter.
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As Thompson slammed Beckett against the tiled wall and snapped the steel cuffs around his wrists, Mary turned to me, her eyes burning with pure venom.
“You think this saves you?” she hissed under her breath, bending down close to my ear while the nurses tried to pull her away. “You have no idea how deep this goes, Clara. Beckett wasn't working alone. The board meeting is tomorrow at 9:00 AM. And you won't live to see it.”
