Chapter 13 - THE LAST FAMILY PARTY
The annual Waverly winter dinner had been scheduled long before the scandal.
Preston wanted it canceled.
The board insisted it proceed.
Claire attended.
Not for drama.
For symbolism.
Same ballroom.
Different power.
Preston arrived without chairman status.
Meredith without foundation title.
Austin without Rachel.
Claire wore cream.
No bruises.
No split lip.
Naomi stood near the back.
Not family.
Witness.
Preston approached Claire.
“You happy?”
“No.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Claire looked around.
“The company is still here.”
“You tore us apart.”
“No. I stopped pretending togetherness was the same as health.”
He laughed bitterly.
“You sound like Keller.”
“Good.”
Then Meredith approached.
“You humiliated your mother.”
Claire looked at her.
“You laughed while Dad dragged me by my hair.”
Meredith’s face changed.
For one second, shame.
Then control returned.
“I was angry.”
“So was I.”
Claire did not raise her voice.
That difference mattered.
Then Austin joined them.
The three people who once stood over Claire while she begged.
Now none held unquestioned power.
Then reporters entered the lobby unexpectedly.
Someone had leaked the audit findings.
Naomi looked at Claire.
Not them.
Who?
Minutes later, social media exploded.
Eastbridge.
M Gold Advisory.
Preston transfers.
Old Robert records.
Too much.
Naomi frowned.
“This is bad.”
Claire stared.
“Why?”
“Because uncontrolled release lets them claim persecution.”
Someone wanted chaos.
Then Preston’s phone rang.
His face changed.
Meredith’s too.
Austin checked his.
Same message apparently.
Claire received nothing.
Naomi did.
Anonymous:
YOU WANTED THE FAMILY DESTROYED. YOU’RE WELCOME.
Claire went cold.
Someone else was using Naomi’s “revenge” language.
Then the leak included documents Claire had never seen.
Private medical files.
Robert’s death photographs.
Rachel’s divorce drafts.
This was not Claire’s evidence strategy.
It was vandalism.
Naomi said:
“We contain it.”
Claire looked at her.
“Who has access?”
“Too many people now.”
Then a final leaked document appeared.
An old letter from Eleanor Waverly.
To Naomi’s predecessor.
If I cannot remove Preston legally, someone else will have to finish what Robert started.
Ambiguous.
Dangerous.
May you like
The entire case risked becoming conspiracy theater.
And whoever leaked it knew exactly how to make truth look insane.
