Chapter 6 - Consulting From the Shadows
The kerosene lamp flickered, casting erratic shadows against the rough-hewn pine walls of Derek’s grandfather’s cabin while the wind howled fiercely outside. My fingers hovered over the cracked plastic surface of the burner phone Evelyn had slipped into the gold clutch, waiting for the encrypted connection to clear. Across the room, Derek stood by the frosted window, parting the heavy wool curtain an inch to scan the tree line for any sign of pursuit. Every breath I took felt heavy, pregnant with the terrifying awareness that my husband, Julian, possessed the reach and resources to crush whatever fragile sanctuary we had managed to carve out here in the snow-draped mountains.
"The line is secure, Elena," Derek murmured, turning back from the glass and crossing the plank floor to hand me the handset. "Don't say anything personal. Keep it strictly to what Evelyn arranged."
I nodded, pressing the receiver to my ear just as a sharp, electronic click signaled the call had gone through. A woman’s crisp, practiced voice answered on the first ring, devoid of hesitation. "This is Miller. You're calling through a red-flagged relay. If Julian’s legal team traced this signal even for three seconds, we'd both be sitting in front of a federal judge by morning."
"I know," I whispered back, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to steady it. "Evelyn said you handle corporate and domestic litigation when the opposing party uses intimidation and asset freezing."
"Evelyn has a flair for dramatic introductions," the attorney replied, the sound of rustling paper coming clearly through the tiny speaker. "She also sent me a preliminary data drop from your husband's private server. It's substantial. Embezzlement, shell corporations, and systematic coercion. But Elena, filing these documents in open court means your name goes on the public record alongside his. The media circus will be relentless. Are you prepared for that?"
I looked down at my swollen belly, feeling a faint, reassuring kick against my palm. The memory of Julian's cold eyes in the luxury hallway flashed through my mind, followed by Derek standing resolute beside me. "I'm more afraid of going back to him than I am of any courtroom," I said, my voice hardening into a resolution I didn't know I possessed.
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"Good," Miller said briskly. "Then here is our next step. You need to authorize power of attorney so we can petition for an emergency financial injunction before Julian liquidates your personal holdings. Your signature is required on an encrypted digital filing within the next twelve hours. Can you do that?"
"Yes," I replied, determination surging through my veins. "Send the documents."
