Chapter 5
Jennifer claimed Emma preferred texting.
Michael insisted she was happy and independent.
Meanwhile, I had been receiving affectionate messages from a number I believed belonged to my wife.
Now I understood.
Someone had been answering for her.
I sat beside Emma.
“Why didn't you contact me another way?”
She stared at her hands.
“I tried.”
My chest tightened.
“What happened?”
“Your mother told me you knew everything. When I called the overseas office, the receptionist said my calls weren't being transferred anymore. And when I tried to leave...”
Her voice broke.
I waited.
“Michael said they'd accuse me of stealing from the family.”
I stared at her.
“He threatened you?”
She nodded.
“He said they had documents with my signature.”
I thought about the bruise on her wrist.
“Did he hurt you?”
Emma was silent.
Then she whispered, “He grabbed me when I tried to take my passport back.”
I stood so quickly the chair hit the wall.
Emma flinched.
I immediately stopped.
Not because I wasn't angry.
But because I realized my anger was frightening the person I wanted to protect.
I knelt in front of her.
“Emma, I'm sorry.”
She shook her head.
“You didn't know.”
“But I should have checked. I should have listened when things felt wrong.”
I took her hands gently.
“I'm going to make this right. But I need you to decide what happens next. Not my mother. Not Jennifer. Not even me.”
Emma looked at me for a long moment.
Then she said something I would never forget.
“I don't want revenge, Daniel.”
I nodded.
“What do you want?”
She took a trembling breath.
“I want my life back.”
CHAPTER 5 — THE ACCOUNTS THAT EXPOSED EVERYTHING
By eight the following morning, my attorney, Rebecca Collins, was sitting in my home office with two forensic accountants.
I had already contacted the bank and revoked my family's authority over every account I personally controlled.
Then Rebecca began reviewing five years of household spending and business transfers.
The results were staggering.
The cars outside weren't gifts I had approved.
They had been purchased using company money disguised as property maintenance expenses.
Jennifer's luxury shopping was hidden under fabricated interior design invoices.
Michael had billed thousands of dollars in imaginary security services.
And my mother had authorized repeated transfers to an investment company I had never heard of.
Rebecca turned her laptop toward me.
“Daniel, there's something else.”