Evelyn staggered.
"I'm her sister."
"You visited Victor in Switzerland three weeks after the fire," Morrow said.
"We have the flight records.
You told him where the safe house was located."
The ballroom gasped.
Evelyn's hands were shaking.
"That's a lie."
"We have the recording," Morrow said.
"From the facility's security system.
You sat with Victor for two hours.
You told him the address.
You told him about the baby.
You told him Catherine was going to testify."
Evelyn's hands dropped to her sides.
"He was my husband.
He was sick.
He needed—"
"He needed to silence your sister," Richard said.
"And you helped him do it."
Daniel turned to his mother.
The color had left his face entirely.
"You knew." His voice was barely a whisper.
"You knew who Claire was this whole time."
Evelyn grabbed Daniel's arm.
"I was protecting you.
If anyone found out about Catherine, about Victor—"
"You weren't protecting me." Daniel pulled his arm free.
"You were protecting yourself.
The money.
The Ashland trust.
The diamonds and the galas and everything you've built on—"
"On what your father earned."
"Your father was a crjminal," Richard said.
"And your mother helped him stay hidden for twenty-one years while she spent his money in this city like it was clean."
Evelyn's mask finally broke.
Her shoulders dropped.
Her voice went thin and sharp.
"You don't know what it was like.
Victor controlled everything.
Every dollar.
Every decision.
When Catherine ran, he nearly destroyed me too.
I had to play along or lose everything."
"So you gave him the address," Daniel said.
"I had no choice."
"You had a choice," Claire said.
Everyone turned.
Claire was still leaning against Richard, but her voice was steady.
"You could have called me.
You could have warned Catherine.
You could have told the protective detail." She wiped her face.
"Instead you flew to Switzerland and told a man where to find his wife and newborn child."
Evelyn opened her mouth.
"Did he know about the bruise?" Claire asked.
The room went still again.
"Did Victor know you were going to find me eventually?
Is that why you brought Daniel into this?
You arranged for your son to marry the daughter of the woman you helped silence—"
"I didn't kjll anyone."
"You might as well have." Claire's voice broke.
"And then you let your son put his hands on me."
Daniel's head snapped up.
"What?"
Claire touched her cheek.
"Three nights ago.
In your apartment.
You asked me about my parents.
About my childhood.
I couldn't answer the way you wanted.
And you—"
"I didn't mean to—"
"You grabbed my arm.
You shoved me into the wall.
When I tried to leave, you—" She stopped.
Her hand went to her cheek.
Daniel's face went gray.
"Claire, I was angry.
I thought you were hiding something.
I thought you were—"
"She was hiding something," Richard said.
"She was hiding from the people who murdered her mother.
One of those people is standing next to you right now."
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
Then at Claire.
Then at the floor.
"I didn't know," he said.
"I swear I didn't know."
"You knew enough to ask questions she couldn't answer," Richard said.
"You knew enough to get angry when she wouldn't talk.
And when she couldn't explain where she came from, you put your hands on her."
Daniel said nothing.
Morrow stepped forward.
"Mrs.
Prescott, I need you to come with us."
Evelyn backed up.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You're being detained on federal charges related to aiding and abetting in the attempted murd3r of a protected witness, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and ongoing financial crimes connected to the Ashland estate."
"This is ridiculous.
I have lawyers.
I have connections in this room." She looked across the ballroom.
"Judge Morrison—"
A white-haired man near the back of the room looked away.
"Judge Morrison recused himself from the Ashland case six months ago," Morrow said.
"He's been cooperating with our investigation."
Evelyn's last ally in the room disappeared with that sentence.
Two of Morrow's agents moved to either side of Evelyn.
She looked at Daniel.
"Tell them this is a mistake.
Tell them I—"
Daniel looked at his mother for a long time.
"You knew who she was," he said.
"You watched me fall in love with her.
You let me propose.
And the whole time you knew she was Catherine's daughter."
"I was trying to keep you close to her.
To monitor—"
"To monitor me," Claire said.
"That's what this was.
The engagement.
The wedding.
You wanted me where you could watch me."
Evelyn said nothing.
Her face had gone blank.
"Say it," Claire said.
"I was protecting my family."
"Catherine was your family," Richard said.
"She was your sister.
She was twenty-three years old.
She had a baby.
And you sold her location to the man who was trying to silence her."
Evelyn's lip trembled.
"He said he just wanted to talk to her.
He said he wouldn't hurt her."
"And you believed him?" Daniel's voice cracked.
"You believed a man who had beaten your sister for years?
A man you knew was dangerous?"
"I thought—"
"You thought about the money," Richard said.
"The Ashland estate.
The trust fund.
The properties.
If Catherine testified, all of it would have been seized.
You would have lost everything."
Evelyn's silence was confirmation enough.
Morrow placed his hand on Evelyn's shoulder.
"Mrs.
Prescott.
Let's go."
Evelyn pulled away.
She looked at Claire one last time.
"You look just like her," she whispered.
"You look exactly like Catherine."
Claire didn't flinch.
"I know."
Evelyn walked between the two agents toward the ballroom doors.
Her heels clicked on the marble.
No one followed her.
No one called after her.
At the door, she stopped.
"Daniel."
He didn't look up.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
He said nothing.
The doors closed behind her.
The ballroom was quiet.
Guests stood in clusters, whispering.
A man near the back pulled out his phone and stepped toward the exit.
Someone else followed him.
Daniel took a step toward Claire.
Richard moved between them.
"Don't," Richard said.
"I need to talk to her."