He Needed a Wife to Claim His Inheritance—So He Paid a Poor Widow to Pretend
Chapter 4
Ethan spent the next morning reviewing old company records.
He searched the warehouse accident.
Daniel Bennett’s name appeared in the file.
The official report said mechanical failure.
Ethan didn’t believe it.
He called the company’s former safety manager.
“Did you know Daniel Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
The man hesitated.
“You’re asking ten years late.”
“I need an answer.”
“His truck was tampered with.”
Ethan froze.
“Who said that?”
“I did.”
“Then why wasn’t it in the report?”
“Because I was told to change it.”
“By whom?”
Silence.
“Who?”
The man finally said:
“Your grandfather.”
Ethan’s stomach dropped.
He ended the call.
Then he found Clara.
“Did you know your husband’s truck was tampered with?”
She stared at him.
“What?”
“The accident wasn’t mechanical failure.”
Her face went white.
“How do you know?”
“I looked into it.”
“Why?”
“Because your husband died at one of my family’s warehouses.”
Clara stood.
“You knew?”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“Then who did?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked away.
Tears filled her eyes.
“For two years, I thought Daniel was speeding.”
Ethan felt guilty.
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head.
“My husband hated driving fast.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because the original accident report says he was driving below the speed limit.”
Clara looked at him.
“You’ve been investigating.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because my grandfather may have known something.”
Clara sat down.
“What did he know?”
“I don’t know yet.”
He showed her the report.
She read it.
Then something clicked.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Daniel told me something the week before he died.”
“What?”
“He said someone at work was stealing.”
Ethan stared.
“Stealing what?”
“I don’t know.”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“He said he would handle it.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
That meant the accident wasn’t random.
Daniel had discovered theft inside the company.
Someone had wanted him silent.
And Ethan’s grandfather had apparently known.
Then Clara remembered something.
“Daniel had a locker.”
“Where?”
“At the old warehouse.”
Ethan immediately called security.
The locker still existed.
They found it that afternoon.
Inside was a notebook.
Receipts.
Photographs.
And one flash drive.
Ethan plugged it into a secure computer.
Thousands of files appeared.
Payments.
Fake invoices.
Transfers.
Names.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Nathan Cole.
Ethan stared.
His cousin had been involved.
And suddenly the marriage contract looked less like a coincidence.
Clara looked at him.
“Is Nathan the reason my husband died?”
Ethan couldn’t answer.
Not yet.
But there was something worse.
The latest file on the drive had been created only six weeks ago.
Someone had continued the fraud long after Daniel died.
And they had been watching Clara.
One folder contained photographs of her.
Her house.
Her son.
Their school.
Ethan closed the laptop.
“From now on, you’re not going anywhere alone.”
Clara looked at him.
“You’re breaking your own rules.”
“No.”
He stared at the screen.
“I’m adding one.”
