Chapter 6 - Sophie Remembered the Box
Two days later, Sophie asked for the torn dress.
Claire looked up from her laptop.
“Why?”
“The box.”
“What box?”
“The one I tripped on.”
Claire stopped typing.
Sophie explained that when she entered Derek’s office, several shipping boxes were stacked beside his desk.
One was open.
Inside were folders with Vanessa’s name written across the tabs.
Claire did not question Sophie further.
She refused to turn her daughter into an investigator.
Instead, she wrote down exactly what Sophie volunteered and sent the information to her attorney.
Then she asked Derek, through counsel, to preserve all business records.
His attorney responded angrily.
The request was “unnecessary and inflammatory.”
That answer bothered Claire more than cooperation would have.
Meanwhile, Derek began texting Sophie directly.
Daddy loves you.
Mom is angry right now.
None of this is your fault.
The messages looked gentle.
But the next one was different.
You didn’t hear anything in Daddy’s office that day, right?
Claire saw Sophie staring at it.
“What should I say?”
“Nothing.”
“Will Daddy be mad?”
Claire’s chest tightened.
“You don’t have to protect adults from things they chose to do.”
Sophie nodded.
Then whispered, “Vanessa told Dad I heard too much.”
Claire turned toward her.
“When?”
“Before you came home.”
That changed everything.
May you like
Vanessa’s attack over the dress had not begun simply because expensive fabric tore.
She had already known Sophie might have overheard them.
