Chapter 5 - The Bait and Switch
We couldn't just accuse them of poisoning me and attempting fraud; we needed them to commit the felony on camera, with irrefutable proof.
To do that, I had to give them a window of hope.
I instructed Julian to partially lift the freeze on one specific account—the one connected to the Manhattan properties. But Julian rerouted the backend. Instead of linking to the real deeds, it linked to a dummy server heavily monitored by the FBI's white-collar crime division.
That evening, I went to my old townhouse to pack the rest of my things. I knew Daniel would come.
He arrived at 7 PM, looking disheveled. The perfectly tailored suits couldn't hide the bags under his eyes or the nervous sweat on his brow.
"Em," he pleaded, walking into the living room. "Please. Let's talk about this. I know you're angry about Vanessa, but it meant nothing. It was just a stupid fling."
"A fling that wears half-a-million-dollar necklaces?" I asked, folding a sweater.
"I was drunk. I was grieving our marriage," he lied effortlessly. "Look, the freeze on the account lifted an hour ago. Let's just finalize the European transfers, and I'll walk away. You'll never see me again."
He didn't know I knew about the real estate. He thought I only knew about the corporate funds.
"Fine," I sighed, playing the exhausted, broken woman he expected me to be. "Take your laptop. Initiate the transfer. I just want this over."
His eyes flashed with greedy triumph. He immediately pulled out his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he logged into the offshore portal. He thought he was quietly liquidating my family's empire while I watched with blank eyes.
He hit 'Confirm'.
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"Done," he breathed, snapping the laptop shut. "Take care of yourself, Emily."
As he walked out the door, I pulled out my phone and texted my father: The rat took the cheese.
