Chapter 6: Kill Her

That night, Claire huddled in front of the couch, her mind racing. “Now, he is a celebrated general and a presidential candidate. He’s ruthless and powerful,” she ruminated. “To escape his watchful eyes, I have to devise a foolproof plan… something completely unexpected…”

If she could only leave Kingstown, everything would be easier. High-speed trains, planes, buses… none were options. The moment she bought a ticket, Frederick would know. There seemed only one way: take a private car and drive out of Kingstown's reach.

But she had no money, and Kingstown was so vast that escaping would take a six-hour drive. How would she even manage it?

Her heart raced with the possibility of escape. She weighed every obstacle before making up her mind. She was going to do it.

In the end, Claire placed all her hopes on Elizabeth. The Prescott family's car, with a full tank of gas, could easily get her out of Kingstown. But first, she needed to keep Frederick completely in the dark.

She had planned everything, and now she needed to send Frederick a message. It made her feel sick, communicating with him this way after so long. Her hand shook uncontrollably as she typed:

[Frederick, I know you hate me, and I know I can’t escape this. So, I’m just going to accept it. After loving you for so many years, it won’t be so bad to be your Mrs. Hawthorne.]

Frederick received the message, glanced at it, and rolled his eyes. He was convinced Claire was acting or trying to gain his sympathy. He tossed his phone onto his massive bed without replying.

Over the next few days, Claire played her part well, acting like she was happily preparing for the wedding. She tried to muster the feelings she would have under normal circumstances. Frederick didn’t seem suspicious.

A few days later, believing Frederick had lowered his guard, Claire returned to the Prescott Manor and asked Elizabeth for a car, to which she readily agreed. It broke her heart to leave her grandmother, but she knew it was best in the long run. Her grandmother needed peace and relaxation; Claire had only brought disturbances since returning, which the doctor had advised against. She truly believed her absence would improve everyone’s lives.

She got the keys to a car with a full tank of gas and drove off, heading north toward Queenstown. Her palms shook as she gripped the steering wheel, trying to remember their old routes.

Among the states surrounding Kingstown, Queenstown had always been at odds with Frederick, disliking his political ideologies. This made it her best option, somewhere he was sure to avoid.

Along the way, she passed through each checkpoint with great caution. No one suspected her. Luckily, the drive went smoothly, and after five hours, she reached the edge of Kingstown. It was just 31 miles from Queenstown.

Just as she was about to reach the border, a stretch limo swerved into her rearview mirror. It swerved wildly from side to side, speeding toward her and flashing its bright lights.

Before she could respond, it crashed into her car from behind with a loud bang. Dazed from the collision, she was forced to stop; the car nearly tipped over.

Through her blurred vision, she saw a man step out of the limo. His tall figure loomed like a devil in the dark night, blocking the last bit of light from her car’s headlights.

“Well, well, well… Claire Prescott, where do you think you’re going? Hmm?”

The man was none other than Frederick’s older brother, Arthur!

Claire’s face turned pale as she stared at Arthur, completely drained of strength to resist. Her heart pounded as he strode toward her.

Arthur, pulling a large rope through his fingers, bound her and tossed her into the backseat of his car. Through her ringing ears, she could hear him inputting Halfmoon Manor into the GPS.

“My dear brother, guess where I found her?” his booming voice asked.

“I’m puzzled too, actually. How did you run into Arthur?” Frederick responded calmly with a sneering smile. His gaze flitted over Claire with murderous intent.

Claire kept her head down, legs trembling, cold sweat soaking her body.

“I heard you two are planning to get married and have a wedding. How sweet.” Arthur chortled.

She tried her best not to make eye contact with him, for fear of losing her breath.

“So….” he continued, “Why was Claire driving alone at the border of Kingstown and Queenstown in the middle of the night?”

He sat with his legs crossed, rolling up his sleeves, eager to see how his brother would handle this.

The mention of the Kingstown–Queenstown border made Frederick suddenly turn his sharp gaze toward Claire, his eyes cold and piercing.

“Oh, is that so? Well, thank you for bringing her back…”

Suddenly, Arthur grabbed Claire’s neck with one hand, his other hand resting on the gun at his waist.

“Frederick, since I brought her back… don’t you think you owe me a favor? I heard you took over the Kingstown Security Department. How about…”

But before Arthur could finish, Frederick pulled out a silver handgun and pointed it directly at Claire’s head.

The icy cold barrel pressed against her forehead, and her heart nearly stopped. She was caught in the middle of her mess and a toxic sibling rivalry.

When she looked up at Frederick, all she saw was merciless determination in his eyes. At that moment, only one thought filled Claire’s mind:

“Frederick truly hates me. He would rather kill me than be overshadowed by Arthur.”

Arthur watched coldly from the side, holding Claire while sitting on the couch, as steady as a rock. He wanted to see if Frederick was just acting… or if he really would kill Claire.

Frederick’s eyes darkened as his finger smoothed over the trigger. Then, he pulled it.