Chapter 5

"A share transfer agreement?" My heart dropped.

Jay handed me a copy of the document. "Yeah. According to this, you supposedly give up all your shares in the company to Daniel, no strings attached. Your signature's on it and even your fingerprint."

I stared at the document.

The signature looked like mine down to every detail.

And the fingerprint? That was even simpler. I had no clue where he managed to get it.

Daniel had thought of everything, just like always.

He'd been preparing for this day from the very beginning.

"This agreement is a forgery," I said, keeping my voice calm and steady.

Jay said, pushing up his glasses, "I know it's fake. But handwriting analysis isn't quick, and his lawyers will just claim you signed it when you were upset and now you're having second thoughts.

"Daniel's legal team is ruthless, they'll muddy the waters and drag this out for a year or two. By then, the company will be nothing but a shell."

I understood what Jay was getting at.

This was going to be a brutal battle and the odds weren't exactly in our favor.

Daniel had spent years in the business world, with resources and influence that were way out of my league.

I sat there, silent, trying to process the blow.

Then I looked up at Jay, meeting his eyes. "Mr. Lane, can I really trust you?"

Jay blinked, then nodded, his face serious and sincere. "Ms. Carter, since I took your case, I'll do everything I can to protect your interests. That's my promise as your lawyer."

"Alright."

I reached into the bottom drawer of my nightstand and pulled out a small USB drive, handing it to him. "This is every single financial record I've kept for the past five years."

Jay took the USB drive, looking a little puzzled.

I explained, "I majored in finance in college. From the day we get married, I start using specialized finance software to keep track of every dollar that comes in and goes out of our household.

"That includes Daniel's salary, bonuses, even the off-the-books income, every investment he made, and every account's transactions.

"I even create tracking models for each of his secret accounts, following the trail of every dollar.

"Everything's here. The original data and my analysis reports, all on this USB drive."

Jay's eyes started to shine with excitement.

He looked like an archaeologist who'd just stumbled onto a treasure, excitement and shock written all over his face.

He looked at me, his gaze was full of fresh respect and a new appreciation. "Ms. Carter, you... you've really impressed me."

"Is this enough to prove he's been moving assets during the marriage?"

"Enough? This is way more than enough." Jay said, clutching the USB drive like it was gold.

"This isn't some sneaky asset transfer. It's practically a perfect criminal confession. With this, we could take him down for embezzlement and money laundering."

Seeing his reaction, I felt a wave of confidence wash over me.

"But he's been sneaky. He's been moving a lot of money through shell companies, calling it 'failed investments,'" I said, unable to hide my worry.

"Doesn't matter," Jay said, eyes sharp as ever. "If there's a money trail, there's always a way to track it down. Give me three days, I'll expose everything he's been hiding."

Jay snatched up the USB drive and charged out, fired up and ready for battle.

Watching him leave, his back full of fighting spirit, I knew I'd found the right ally for this war.

I'd kept this ace up my sleeve for five years.

Now, it was finally time to play it.

The next two days passed in silence.

Daniel didn't show up.

Linda was nowhere to be seen either.

They probably thought I was already at my wit's end, breaking down alone in some corner.

What they didn't know was that a web was quietly being spun around them.

On the afternoon of the third day, Jay showed up.

He looked tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes, but he was practically buzzing with energy.

He shut the door behind him and pulled out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase. "Ms. Carter, we've got everything," Jay said, his voice barely able to hide his excitement.

"Daniel's been using six shell companies over the past three years, calling it 'losses from overseas investments,' but he's actually siphoned off at least 10 million dollars in marital assets.

"And get this, most of that whopping 10 million dollars ended up in Ava's accounts and her family's. He bought her cars, showered her with luxury goods, even built a villa for her parents back in their hometown."

None of this surprised me.

Jay said, his face growing oddly serious. "But, we stumbled onto something really bizarre. A suspicious transfer.

"Two years ago, Daniel transferred a massive sum, 2.7 million dollars, the biggest single amount so far. On paper, it was meant for a chip project, but in the end, it was a total loss.

"But our investigators discovered that not a single cent of that money ever made it into any actual project."

"So where did it go?" I asked.

Jay took a deep breath and flipped to the last page of the documents.

It was a copy of a real estate transaction record.

"That money was used to buy a luxury river-view penthouse in Eastshire's most exclusive neighborhood, paid in full. And it happened exactly two years ago."

My heart skipped a beat.

I knew that penthouse in Eastshire, and I recognized the building right away.

It was one of the priciest luxury apartments in the city, each unit started at several million dollars.

He'd actually bought a place like that behind my back.

Was it meant to be Ava's wedding home?

"Whose name is on the deed?" I asked, my hands clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

Jay looked up at me, his eyes swirling with a storm of emotions.

He stayed silent for three whole seconds, then finally dropped a name I never could've imagined.

"It's your mother-in-law. Linda Ford."