Novels by Esther Mmadubuike

The doctors worked over Richard's body for eleven minutes that felt like eleven years.Claire stood frozen against the wall, Nathan's arm still around her shoulders, both of them watching through the small window in the door because the nurses had pushed them out of the room."He is stable," a doctor finally said, stepping out, pulling off his gloves. "His heart stopped for almost a minute, but we got him back. He is very weak. The next twenty four hours will tell us more."Claire's legs finally gave out, and she sank down onto a chair in the hallway, her hands covering her face."Can I see him?" she asked."Not tonight," the doctor said gently. "He needs rest. Come back in the morning."Nathan sat down beside her, quiet for a long moment."Claire," he said finally. "You need to eat something. You have not eaten since this afternoon.""I do not care about food right now," she said, her voice hoarse from crying. "My father almost died in front of me.""I know," Nathan said. "But collap

Claire's heart pounded."What do you mean it is not your father's handwriting?" she asked. "How is that possible?"Nathan sat back down slowly, staring at his phone like it might change what it said if he looked at it long enough."My legal team says the signature on the original loan document does not match my father's signature on any other paperwork from that same year," he said. "Someone else signed his name.""Are you saying someone forged your father's signature to create this loan?""That is exactly what I am saying," Nathan said. "Which means this loan, the one that forced you and me into this marriage, might not have even been real in the first place."Claire felt something twist inside her chest, somewhere between relief and horror."So all of this," she said quietly. "My father's debt, this wedding, all of it, could be based on a lie?""I do not know yet," Nathan said. "But I intend to find out."He stood up, already reaching for his jacket."Where are you going?" Claire as

Nathan's face changed instantly, the softness from a moment ago gone completely."What did he tell them?" he asked, already moving toward the door."He told them that Cole Industries approved a loan years ago based on falsified paperwork," Eleanor said. "He is telling them your father broke the law to force this marriage into existence.""That is not true," Nathan said. "My father never falsified anything.""I know that," Eleanor said. "But Marcus has documents, Nathan. I do not know where he got them or if they are real, but he is showing them to the board right now."Claire stood frozen by the window, watching the two of them, feeling like she was intruding on something she was never supposed to see."Go," she said quietly. "I will be fine here."Nathan looked at her for a second, like he wanted to say something else, but Eleanor grabbed his arm."There is no time," Eleanor said. "Now, Nathan."He left the room without looking back, and Claire was alone again, her heart pounding for

Eleanor Cole sat frozen across from the man in her private office, her hands gripping the edge of her chair."Marcus, tell me exactly what you meant by that," she said. "What did you do to Richard Bennett's business all those years ago?"Marcus Vale smiled, slow and calm, like a man who had waited a long time for this moment."I simply made sure his business failed at the right time," he said. "I bought his suppliers. I pressured his buyers. I made sure Richard had no choice but to come to your husband for a loan."Eleanor's face went white."You are telling me my husband's loan to that family was part of your plan the entire time?""Edward never knew," Marcus said. "He thought he was doing a kind favor for a struggling business owner. He always did love playing the generous benefactor.""Why?" Eleanor asked. "Why go through all this trouble for a debt that means nothing to a company as big as ours?"Marcus's smile faded, and for the first time, something darker showed in his eyes."B

Claire stood by her father's bed, holding his hand, and she could feel how thin his fingers had become."Papa, you have to eat something," she said. "The nurse said you barely touched your food today."Richard Bennett opened his eyes slowly. He tried to smile but the smile did not reach his eyes."Claire, sit down," he said. "I need to tell you something.""Can it wait? I have to go to my second job in an hour.""No," he said. "It cannot wait anymore."Claire sat down slowly. Something in his voice made her chest tighten."Years ago, before you were even in high school, I made a deal with a man named Edward Cole," Richard said. "My business was failing and he offered to help me. I signed papers I did not read carefully. I was desperate.""Papa, what kind of papers?""A loan. A big one. One I could never pay back on my own."Claire's hands started to shake a little."How much do you owe them?""It is not about money anymore," Richard said. "Edward Cole passed away last year. His son Na