Chapter 8 - The Widow They Planned to Blame
Claire looked at the legal language more carefully.
Buried beneath the inheritance clauses was a statement acknowledging that she had managed Daniel’s medication during the week before his death.
Another paragraph claimed Daniel had expressed fear that Claire was unstable.
Her stomach turned.
“This is not a waiver.”
Margaret folded her arms.
“It is whatever I say it is.”
“This document says I gave Daniel his medication.”
“You did.”
“No. His private nurse did.”
Victor smiled.
“The nurse resigned.”
Claire understood.
The nurse had not resigned voluntarily.
They had removed the one witness who could confirm Claire had never touched Daniel’s medicine.
Margaret spoke softly.
“Sign the paper, accept the settlement, and leave the country. Refuse, and the police will receive evidence showing you poisoned your husband.”
Claire looked at Daniel’s pale face.
The plan was worse than they had feared.
Margaret and Victor wanted control of Vale Biotech.
But they also needed someone to blame for the attempt on Daniel’s life.
The grieving wife was perfect.
No powerful family.
No seat on the board.
No allies Margaret respected.
Margaret leaned close.
“People already believe you married him for money.”
Claire’s eyes burned.
“You spent years making sure they believed that.”
“I only showed them what you were.”
“You showed them the story you needed.”
Margaret’s smile returned.
“And they accepted it.”
Victor opened his phone and displayed a photograph of Claire entering a pharmacy.
“You purchased the same drug found in Daniel’s blood.”
Claire stared.
The photograph was real.
But the prescription had been for Daniel’s migraine treatment six months earlier.
They had changed the date.
“You altered that image.”
“Prove it.”
Claire felt Daniel’s fingers touch the inside edge of her wrist.
Three slow taps.
The emergency signal.
His oxygen was dropping.
She had only minutes.
Leonard noticed her glance toward the coffin.
He shifted his body, deliberately blocking Victor’s view.
Claire moved one hand beneath the satin lining.
Her fingers found the small syringe.
Before she could pull it free, Margaret seized her arm.
“What are you doing?”
Claire froze.
Margaret followed her gaze into the coffin.
For the first time, suspicion replaced arrogance.
May you like
She stepped closer to Daniel’s face.
👉 Margaret had spent the morning speaking beside a corpse—but now she was beginning to wonder whether her son was truly dead.
