Chapter 5 - The Archivist's Trap
Claire sat on the edge of the bed, the cassette tape playing the final clicks of her husband's betrayal. Eleanor watched her, her eyes pleading for forgiveness for the years of coldness she had shown Claire—realizing too late that the daughter-in-law she had despised was the only person who truly valued her life.
"I forgive you, Eleanor," Claire whispered, kissing the old woman's forehead. "And I promise you, he will never put you in a home. We are staying right here."
Claire stood up. She was no longer just a betrayed wife. She was an archivist. She spent her life tracking down missing pieces of history, uncovering hidden data, and organizing chaos. Mark and Vanessa thought they were dealing with a simple librarian. They had no idea who they had crossed.
She called Jenna, her coworker at the library.
"Jenna, I need you to access the library’s digital archives for the Northgate area land deeds. Find out exactly when Vanessa Cole purchased her colonial home, and find out who the primary guarantor on her mortgage is."
Ten minutes later, Jenna called back, her voice breathless. "Claire, you’re not going to believe this. The guarantor on Vanessa’s mortgage isn't Mark. It’s Richard Cole—her ex-husband, who happens to be the district attorney of Maple Ridge. And Claire? They never actually divorced. They’re still legally married. Vanessa is using your husband’s stolen money to pay off her hidden corporate debts before her husband finds out she’s bankrupt."
A slow, vicious smile spread across Claire’s face.
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The pieces were perfectly aligned. Mark thought he was Vanessa’s "little star," the love of her life. In reality, he was just a disposable pawn in a high-society bankruptcy scam.
Claire dialed the office of District Attorney Richard Cole.
