Chapter 14
"I never said that," Vincent breathed, his face draining of color. "Claire, I swear on my life, I never said I was leaving you. I never left voicemails like that."
Claire stared at him, her eyes searching his face for the lie. "Julian sent me the audio files. It was your voice."
"It's fake," Vincent said frantically, pulling out his phone. "Think about it, Claire! Julian wanted you to threaten divorce so he could control my shares. He used AI, he used voice-cloning, he used whatever he had to! He manufactured it to push you over the edge!"
Claire sat back, her mind racing. "Julian is ruthless, but fabricating audio..."
"He fabricated financial audits for ten years!" Vincent practically shouted. "Why wouldn't he fake a voicemail? Look at my phone records. I never called him during that trip. I never left those messages."
Claire fell silent, the gears turning in her head. If Julian had faked the evidence that broke her heart... then her revenge was built on a manipulation.
"It doesn't change what you did," she said firmly, though her voice wavered slightly.
May you like
"No, it doesn't," Vincent agreed, his eyes locking onto hers. "I slept with her. I broke our vows. But I never stopped loving you, and I never planned to leave. We are both being played. If we don't fight back together, they will destroy us both."
Claire looked at the wine glass, tracing the rim with her finger. "If what you're saying is true... then my father-in-law has made a very grave mistake."
