Chapter 6 - THE REUNION AT HOUSE NUMBER 44The black SUV led the way down Elmwood Drive, trailing closely behind Frank’s sedan until both vehicles pulled into the driveway of Marcus’s upscale suburban home.
Arthur held Leo’s small hand tightly as they walked up the front steps. Marcus unlocked the front door with trembling hands, pushing it open.
"Claire!" Marcus called out, his voice cracking slightly. "Claire, get down here!"
Footsteps echoed rapidly down the wooden staircase. The blonde woman—Claire—appeared on the landing, her face pale under her heavy makeup. When her eyes locked onto Arthur standing in the entryway with Leo hiding behind his leg, she froze as if she had been struck by lightning.
"Dad?" she whispered, her voice trembling with the exact same melodic cadence Arthur had mourned for six years.
"Hello, Claire," Arthur said, his voice entirely devoid of warmth. He stepped inside, letting the front door slam shut behind Frank, who immediately locked it and pocketed the key. "You look well for someone who burned to death in a ravine."
Claire’s knees buckled slightly. She reached out and grabbed the wooden banister for support. Tears welled up in her eyes—real tears, hot and desperate.
"Dad, I’m so sorry," she sobbed, sliding down the banister until she sat on the bottom step, burying her face in her hands. "I had no choice. You have to believe me."
"No choice?" Arthur stepped closer, his chest tightening with a suffocating mix of rage and heartbreak. "Your mother died of a broken heart because of you! I spent six years mourning over a box of drywall dust and sand! You sat here, living a luxury life funded by my life savings, while letting me believe my daughter was charred to ash!"
"You don't understand what Marcus got me into!" Claire cried out, pointing a shaking finger at her husband. "It wasn't a choice! It was survival!"
"Shut up, Claire!" Marcus snapped, stepping forward. "Don't listen to her, Art. She ran up massive gambling debts with underground syndicates before we got married. If I hadn't helped her vanish, they would have killed her—and Leo!"
"That’s a lie!"
A sharp, third voice cut through the living room like a gunshot.
Everyone turned. Standing in the kitchen doorway was another man—tall, wearing a lab coat, holding a heavy metal tablet. Arthur had never seen him before in his life.
"Who the hell are you?" Frank demanded, hand resting near his jacket.
"My name is Dr. Julian Vance—Marcus’s actual brother," the man said bitterly, glaring at Marcus. "And Marcus is lying through his teeth. There were never any syndicates. There were never any loan sharks."
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Marcus’s face turned the color of ash. "Julian, shut your mouth—"
"No, I'm done covering for your sociopathic schemes, Marcus!" Julian shouted, walking into the living room and tossing the tablet onto the coffee table. "You want to know why Claire 'died'? Because Marcus needed capital to fund his illegal off-books clinical trials at Apex Medical. When his first venture failed, he blackmailed Claire into helping him fake her death so he could milk her father dry under the guise of raising an orphan!"
