Chapter 4 - The Dominoes Fall
The next morning, Julian was up at 6:00 AM, whistling as he tied his silk tie.
He was dressed in his sharpest navy suit, practically vibrating with nervous energy.
“Wish me luck,” he said, grabbing the leather briefcase from the hallway.
“Good luck, honey,” I replied, sipping my black coffee. “Let me know how it goes.”
He walked out the door without looking back.
The moment I heard his car pull out of the driveway, I rushed to my laptop.
I opened my email and waited.
Marcus had set up a direct notification system with the bank’s fraud department.
At exactly 9:05 AM, the first domino fell.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Marcus.
“He’s at the teller. He just submitted the transfer request for the joint savings.”
I watched the clock tick.
9:08 AM.
Marcus texted again.
“The system rejected the transfer. The account routing numbers he has don't match the active trust.”
9:12 AM.
“He’s trying to execute the Quitclaim deed for the house. The bank manager is reviewing it.”
I could almost picture the scene in my head.
Julian, sitting in a plush leather chair, trying to maintain his suave demeanor while the bank manager scrutinized his fraudulent paperwork.
At 9:20 AM, my cell phone began to ring.
The caller ID flashed: Julian.
I let it ring three times before answering, making my voice sound groggy.
“Hello?”
“Elena!” Julian’s voice was completely different now.
The smooth, confident tone was gone, replaced by frantic, barely suppressed panic.
“Hi honey, what’s wrong? You sound stressed.”
“Did you... did you move money out of our joint savings?” he demanded, breathing heavily.
“What? No, of course not,” I lied flawlessly. “Why would I do that?”
“The bank is saying the account is frozen. Actually, they’re saying the account doesn't even exist under my name anymore!”
“That’s impossible, Julian. Maybe there’s a system error?” I suggested helpfully.
“And the house deed,” his voice cracked. “They’re telling me the deed I have is invalid. That the property is owned by something called The Legacy Trust?”
“Oh, that,” I said, keeping my tone incredibly casual.
“What do you mean, ‘Oh, that’?!” he shouted into the receiver.
“Well, you know how you said I should make sure my assets are protected?” I replied sweetly.
“Yes?!”
“I took your advice, sweetheart! I had Marcus review everything. We put all my assets into an irrevocable trust to keep them safe from any business liabilities you might incur.”
Dead silence on the other end of the line.
I could hear the gears turning in his head as the devastating reality crashed down on him.
“You... you took the papers to Marcus?” he whispered, horror dripping from his words.
“Of course. You know I don’t understand legal jargon. He helped me sign the right ones.”
“Elena... what exactly did you sign for me that night?”
“Just some drafts, I think,” I said lightly. “Anyway, I have to go get ready for work. Good luck restructuring!”
I hung up the phone and blocked his number temporarily.
I closed my laptop, a genuine smile spreading across my face.
Julian’s grand master plan had just imploded in less than twenty minutes.
May you like
But freezing his assets was only step one.
It was time to deal with the tall brunette in the cream-colored coat.
