Claire's Agenda

Claire's POV

I was intrigued by the information Theresa had told me. It's odd. What mystery is there in the relationship between father and daughter? Why did Mr. Hansen never hold her daughter or even get close to her? Seems like she's not his own blood and flesh.

I know that even if the father is strict, he will still show some affection to his child.

I checked my watch. It's only five o'clock in the afternoon in Australia. Whether he's in the ranch or at home, it doesn't matter. I opened my computer and typed a message.

She

hasn't

come

back

with

her

nanny, Theresa;

according

to

Theresa,

she

has

changed

her

mind. She

said

that

she

doesn't

want

to

see

her

father

anymore. She's

afraid

that

he

might

be

very

furious

for disobeying his rules.

So

instead

she

sent

Theresa to

get

a

box

in

her

room

in

their

mansion. Theresa

told me

that

the

box

contains photographs

with her

mother.

But

I'm

puzzled

with

the

gift

her

mother

told

her

that

she

put

in

the

box instead of

giving

to

her. I

will

see if I can convince

Theresa

to

have a look at the photographs. I'm

sure

there

is

something

hidden

there

if

it hasn't been touched by anyone. It's

been

fifteen

years. Hope

that

I

can

find

something

useful

in

that

box.

Until then, I'll update you.

P.S. If she's with you, be wise.

I send the message. We agreed that we will only email in case there's an eavesdropper.

I have been working for Shiloh for two years now. Though this job is not related to my course. But this is the only hope that led me in finding my brother and my niece. I never lose hope.

It's been twenty-eight years. But I never lost hope that I would find them. There's no report of a dead body of a man and a baby being found. That means both are still alive. But where are they? They were not hiding, that's for sure; someone has kept them captive. But why have they still kept them up until now? They still have to keep them.

My brother Charles and I are half-siblings. When my brother Charles's father died, our mother remarried to another rancher. That's my father; I was their only child. My brother's father was a very wealthy man. He's a rancher too, like my father, but wealthier than my dad. He owns the biggest ranches in the Outback and also more ranches in other places in Australia.

When both of my parents died in a plane crash when they went for a holiday. My brother Charles took over all responsibilities. Managing both of the ranches left by our fathers. After a while, Charles decided to merge our ranches since they are the sole heirs of each of our fathers. He named our ranches M & B Creek Ranch; that stands for Madrigal and Barlow. It will be our bond as brother and sister.

Charles is fourteen years older than me; I was only six, while my brother is twenty.

He became mature instantly. He was only in his first year in law when our parents died. With the knowledge in economics, he managed our business well. In fact, he's so good at it that he has been an envy to other businessmen. He's the youngest successful businessman in Australia.

I chose to stay in boarding school because I didn't want to bother my brother. I was fifteen when her brother married the beautiful Miranda Young. The campus crush during their college days. They started dating when my brother established his business.

I couldn't make it to their wedding because the school had a field trip that could not be missed.

After a year of marriage, Miranda gave birth to a baby girl, but Miranda has a weak heart, and she didn't survive. After Miranda's funeral, my brother and my niece went missing. I asked my brother's friend Damien Hansen for help to find my brother and niece. He promised me that he would do his best to find them. But he never did.

So I chose to concentrate on her studies until I finished school. I took up BS Economics like my brother, and then I proceeded to law. When I graduated, I reviewed for the bar; after six months, I took a bar exam, and I passed it. At the age of twenty-three, I became attorney Claire Barlow.

Thirteen years after the mysterious disappearance of my brother and my niece, I heard that Mrs. Hansen was killed by a nineteen-year-old college student studying in the same school where I graduated.

I was intrigued. Why does the nineteen-year-old young man have to kill Mrs. Hansen? In my six years of experience in the law firm, I couldn't believe it. I did investigate by myself, but it seems that the incident was so clean. Inside job, as I labeled it.

I made friends with the young man because I believe that he's innocent. I offered my service to him. I reopened his case for review. Then I filed for a petition of parole. It was granted five years ago.

Since the young man's education was stolen, he didn't finish his studies, and with a criminal record, he couldn't find a job outside prison. Of course, who in their right mind will hire an ex-convict? I believe in him that he is capable of handling business because of his course; he just finished the incident that happened.

He was actually there at the Madrigal mansion to report for OJT.

Well, that was fifteen years ago now, and this man is doing great on our ranches. He is very good at handling the ranch and even has a good relationship with our workers. Our sleeping ranch, because of his brother's mysterious disappearance, has come to life, and it's soaring high.

This man is a true rancher; I could say that. He made the M&B Ranch Creek on top. Who would believe that the ex-convict was a business-minded one?

I will dig into what's behind the crime in that house fifteen years ago. I will not stop until I find the truth.

I know that Heath has Shiloh. Shiloh will be my key in finding the truth about my brother's disappearance.