Chapter 7 - The Unseen Thread
Julian stared at the pencil markings on the back of the paper. It wasn't Rebecca’s handwriting, nor was it Vance's sharp, slanted script. It was rounded, shaky, and hurried.
""Lily, who gave you this paper?"" Julian asked softly. ""Did Rebecca hand it directly to you?""
Lily shook her head. ""No. The nanny lady with the short hair put it in my shoe while Rebecca was fixing her dress. She whispered: Show this to your father before he puts on the ring.""
Claire. The quiet nanny Rebecca had introduced only weeks ago. Julian had assumed she was merely another loyal Montgomery employee, hired to manage Lily during the wedding events. But Claire had taken a massive risk to slip this note into Lily's shoe.
""Why would she write Dr. Chen's name?"" Julian murmured to himself.
Dr. Teresa Chen had been Elena’s lead oncologist during her final months at St. Jude Memorial. After Elena’s passing, Dr. Chen had abruptly resigned from the hospital and left the city. Rumors suggested she had suffered a breakdown from medical malpractice claims, but Julian had been too consumed by grief to investigate.
Could Rebecca’s involvement in his life date back further than the society gala where they had 'accidentally' met six months after Elena’s death?
Julian opened his glove compartment, pulled out an old burner phone he kept for emergencies, and activated it. He powered down his personal smartphone to prevent cell tower triangulation, removing the SIM card and snapping it between his fingers.
""Marcus,"" Julian spoke as soon as his CFO answered the burner line. ""I lost the patrol car. I need you to run a background check on Claire Dupont, the nanny. And pull all historical records linking Rebecca Montgomery to St. Jude Memorial’s oncology ward.""
""What are you suspecting, Julian?"" Marcus asked, his tone shifting from panic to grim curiosity.
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""I don't think Rebecca targeted me for my company,"" Julian replied, his blood turning to ice. ""I think she targeted me to hide something Elena discovered before she died.""
Suddenly, the passenger side window shattered with a violent crack. A gloved hand reached through the broken glass, unlocking the door from the inside.
