Chapter 4 - The Freeze
The phone screen in Lucas’s hand flashed an automated fraud alert from the primary commercial bank in downtown San Diego.
ACCOUNT FROZEN: UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITY DETECTED. ALL CONNECTED CREDIT LINES SUSPENDED.
"What... what is this?" Lucas whispered, his voice cracking as he tapped frantically against the glass screen, watching error messages pop up in bright red text. He looked up at Camilla, his eyes wide with sudden, unadulterated panic. "You... you actually froze the business accounts?"
"Not just the business accounts, Lucas," Camilla said, stepping closer, her voice like grinding stones. "Marcus Vance filed the emergency asset freeze through the superior court two hours ago. Every joint credit card, your personal checking account, the secret line of credit you opened under a shell company, and yes—even the trust fund your mother set up using embezzled supplier kickbacks."
Chloe gasped, grabbing Lucas’s arm. "Lucas, what is she talking about?! You told me your accounts were completely secure! You said her name wasn't anywhere near your assets!"
"Shut up, Chloe!" Lucas snapped, shoving her hand away. He turned back to Camilla, his arrogant facade completely shattered, replaced by a desperate, wheedling whine. "Camilla, please—let's be reasonable. We’ve been married for seven years! You can't just cut me off overnight! How am I supposed to pay my car note? How is Chloe supposed to—"
"Ask your mother," Camilla interrupted coldly. "She seems very good at spending money she didn't earn."
Lucas lunged forward, grabbing Camilla roughly by the wrist. "You listen to me, you ungrateful bitch—!”
Before his fingers could tighten fully around her arm, the front door of the villa flew open with a resounding bang.
Heavy, synchronized footsteps echoed down the tiled foyer.
Two uniformed San Diego Police Department officers, flanked by a court-appointed process server carrying a heavy metal briefcase, marched straight into the living room.
"Mr. Lucas Linwood?" the lead officer asked, his hand resting casually on the butt of his service weapon.
Lucas froze, his grip on Camilla’s wrist slackening. He dropped her hand as if she were burning him. "I... I'm Lucas Linwood. What is the meaning of this?"
The process server stepped forward, flipping open a stiff legal document and thrusting it directly into Lucas’s chest.
"You are hereby served with an emergency civil injunction and criminal subpoena issued by Judge Sterling," the server recited crisply. "You are commanded to appear before the financial crimes division at 9:00 A.M. on Monday morning to answer charges of grand larceny, corporate embezzlement, and fraudulent conveyance of business assets."
Chloe let out a choked sob, sinking down onto the edge of the sofa and burying her face in her hands.
Lucas stared at the legal papers as if they were written in a foreign language. He looked from the police officers back to Camilla, his face twisting with helpless fury. "You called the police on your own husband?!"
"You stopped being my husband the moment you decided to treat my life’s work as your personal ATM," Camilla said, turning her back on him without a shred of hesitation.
She walked toward the front entryway, pausing only when she reached the door.
May you like
"Oh, and Lucas?" Camilla looked back over her shoulder, offering him a sweet, devastating smile. "Tell your mother she forgot to pay her lunch tab."
---
