Chapter 12
Clara told me.
Not Mother.
Not Victor.
Clara.
Once the doctor said she was stable enough to talk, I sat beside her.
No capos.
No audience.
Just us.
Noah slept against her chest.
“What happened before I got home?”
Clara stared at our son.
“Evelyn brought a man here.”
My jaw tightened.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“What did he look like?”
“Older.”
She swallowed.
“Gray hair. Scar near his chin.”
Leo knew immediately when I described him.
Samuel Carter.
My father's cousin.
Head of the river branch.
Of course.
“What did he want?”
Clara closed her eyes.
“He kept calling Noah theirs.”
My hands tightened.
Mother had brought the river faction into my house.
While I was gone.
Clara continued.
“I told him no.”
“What did Mother do?”
“She laughed.”
My jaw tightened.
Clara mimicked her.
“You're his mother until the family decides otherwise.”
I closed my eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
Clara looked at me.
“Don't apologize for her.”
Fair.
“What happened next?”
“They brought a little black book.”
The river oath.
“I refused.”
“What did Samuel say?”
“Nothing.”
She looked toward the door.
“Your mother did.”
I waited.
“She said…”
Clara's voice became quiet.
“Women like you think pain makes you important.”
My hands tightened.
“She said every woman gives birth.”
Tears filled Clara's eyes.
“She said if I couldn't sign my son's future without crying, I shouldn't have had him.”
I felt something inside me break cleanly.
Clara continued.
“I still said no.”
“Good.”
“She got angry.”
“What did she do?”
Clara touched her wrist.
The bruises.
“She grabbed me.”
My jaw locked.
“Victor held the chair.”
I looked toward the hall.
Victor had participated directly.
Not just watched.
“Marissa tried to stop them.”
“That is why she was locked away.”
Clara nodded.
“They took Noah.”
I closed my eyes.
“What did Mother say?”
Clara whispered:
“She said I could hold him again after I signed.”
There.
Food.
Baby.
Safety.
Every basic need turned into currency.
Control disguised as tradition.
“I tried to stand.”
Clara looked embarrassed.
“I couldn't.”
I held her hand.
“You had surgery six days ago.”
“She said that.”
“What?”
“She said…”
Clara's mouth trembled.
“Stop using your cut-open stomach like a personality.”
I looked away because if I didn't, I would leave the room and hurt someone before Clara finished.
She continued.
“Samuel didn't like it.”
I looked back.
“What?”
“He told Evelyn to stop.”
Interesting.
“He said the oath only meant something if I agreed.”
Mother had gone further than even the river branch expected.
“What happened?”
“Evelyn said she wasn't asking anymore.”
My blood went cold.
“She tried to put the pen in my hand.”
I squeezed Clara's fingers.
“I pulled away.”
“And?”
“Victor grabbed me.”
Her voice shook.
“Marissa started screaming.”
I understood.
Then Clara said:
“I kicked the book.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
“What?”
“It fell into the food.”
A tiny smile touched her mouth.
“Evelyn was furious.”
Of course.
More furious about ritual than my wife collapsing.
“She told me I'd eat after I cleaned everything.”
I closed my eyes.
“She made you serve dinner after that.”
“Yes.”
“And you collapsed.”
“Yes.”
I kissed her hand.
Then Clara whispered:
“Daniel…”
“What?”
“Samuel left before you came.”
“Why?”
“He looked scared.”
“Of Mother?”
Clara shook her head.
“Of Victor.”
Interesting.
“What happened?”
She looked at me.
“Victor told him the river branch wouldn't be needed once you were gone.”
Silence.
There.
Victor wasn't just replacing me.
He was planning to cut Evelyn's allies out after using them.
Clara continued.
“Samuel said, ‘That wasn't the agreement.’”
I stared at the wall.
“And Victor?”
“He said…”
She swallowed.
“Agreements change when weak men disappear.”
My blood went cold.
Weak men.
Plural.
Not only me.
Victor planned to remove Samuel too.
Then Clara whispered:
“He said something else.”
“What?”
“That by tomorrow morning…”
May you like
She looked toward Noah.
“…there'd only be one Carter giving orders in this house.”
