Chapter 9 - The House of Cards
"Your mother should have taught you how to manage your own finances instead of helping you steal mine," I interrupted, my voice cutting through his frantic tirade with icy precision.
George stumbled forward, grabbing the edge of the doorframe. "Lucy, listen to me. That money transfer to Fiona's salon... it was an investment! It was going to pay us back tenfold! We can talk about this like adults—we don't need to involve lawyers, and we certainly don't need to ruin our family over a temporary cash flow issue!"
"Temporary cash flow issue," I repeated, letting out a cold, humorless laugh. "You left our five-year-old daughter alone for forty-eight hours while you went drinking at the beach, George. You emptied our savings to fund your sister's nail salon, and you lied to my face every time I asked if Chloe was safe."
"She was fine!" George shouted, his mask of composure completely shattering as desperation took over. "She's totally fine! Kids get sick all the time! You're just blowing this out of proportion because you resent my family!"
"Step off this property, George," I said, my hand resting firmly on the handle of the leather folio containing Julian Rhodes's acquisition agreement. "If you take one more step across this threshold, the next people you talk to won't be my lawyers. They'll be the federal marshals executing the asset freeze on every account you and Fiona own."
George froze. His eyes darted to the legal papers in my hand, then back to my face, realizing for the first time that the obedient, quiet military wife he thought he could manipulate was entirely gone.
"You're bluffing," he whispered, though his voice trembled violently. "You don't have the legal standing to freeze my business accounts. Those are commercial entities!"
Before George could say another word, the sound of heavy engines rumbled down our quiet suburban street.
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Two sleek black sedans with tinted windows turned sharply into our driveway, their high-beam headlights blindingly bright as they boxed in George's car.
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