Shattered Truths

Chapter 11: The Double Life

The file Marie had given him still sat on Matt's desk, the manila folder like a wound he couldn't stop reopening. He had read through the contents at least a dozen times, but each pass left him feeling more hollow. Marcus Hale—fixer, blackmailer, ghost in the shadows—was somehow tied to Claire. Payments, receipts, coded transfers.

But Marcus wasn't the only name that haunted the paperwork. Beneath the numbers, another trail emerged, one Matt hadn't recognized until his sleepless mind made the connection. Aaron Whitfield. Claire's ex. The man she'd kissed under the streetlight weeks ago, the man she swore had nothing to do with her anymore.

And yet, there it was—Aaron's name tangled in financial records, his shell companies linked to assets Claire had helped secure. An apartment deed, a car lease, a line of credit underwritten in her name. The woman who had once laughed with Matt over late-night takeout had been funneling money into the life of the man she claimed to have left behind.

Matt sat back in his chair, throat dry, the weight of realization crushing down. She hadn't just betrayed him with her body or her words. She had used their life together, their shared account, his trust, to build another life alongside Aaron's. A double life.

The more he pieced together, the more he saw the pattern. The boutique charges, the hotels, the dinners—they weren't for her. They were for them. She had been bankrolling Aaron, bailing him out of debts and feeding his failures, all while smiling across the table at Matt as though everything was fine.

The betrayal seared him, but beneath the burn, fear coiled. Marcus Hale's name appeared too many times beside Aaron's for it to be coincidence. This wasn't just Claire indulging an old flame. She was neck-deep in something darker. And she had dragged Matt into it without him even knowing.

The next morning, exhaustion carved deep lines into his face, but Matt forced himself to call Marie.

"I need more," he said when she answered, his voice hoarse. "You told me Claire was paying Marcus. You told me she was tied to Aaron's assets. But how? Why? What exactly is Marcus covering up for them?"

On the other end, Marie sighed. "Matt, I told you—this is dangerous ground. Marcus Hale doesn't leave trails easily. The fact that I could link him at all means you're looking at something bigger than infidelity."

"I don't care if it's dangerous," Matt shot back, heat rising in his chest. "I need to know what she's hiding. I need to know why she thought she could live two lives at my expense."

Marie was silent for a long moment before relenting. "Alright. Give me a few more days. I'll dig deeper into Aaron Whitfield. If Marcus is involved, Aaron's debt might be the key. But Matt... promise me you won't go to Claire until you have everything. If Marcus catches wind of you sniffing around, it won't just be Claire in danger."

Matt hesitated, then muttered, "I promise."

But it was a promise he knew he couldn't keep.

Three nights later, the silence of his apartment felt unbearable. He printed the statements, the deeds, the notes Marie had already uncovered, and stuffed them into an envelope. His chest burned with the need for confrontation. If he waited any longer, the questions would eat him alive.

He texted Claire. We need to talk. Tonight. Your place.

Her reply came quickly. Fine. But make it quick.

When she opened the door, Claire looked composed, as if she'd been expecting him to come crawling back eventually. She wore a loose silk blouse, her hair tied neatly at the nape of her neck. To anyone else, she might have looked calm. But Matt saw the flicker in her eyes—the calculation, the faint tightening around her mouth.