Chapter 7 - THE THREAT THAT CROSSED THE LINE
I called Victoria before I did anything else.
She told me to preserve the message, avoid responding, and contact the police if I believed Liza was in danger.
I followed her advice.
Then I drove directly to Liza's school.
The principal, Mrs. Henderson, met me in her office.
I explained that our family was involved in a contentious divorce and that I had received a threatening message mentioning my daughter.
Mrs. Henderson listened carefully.
"We can make sure our staff follows the existing custody and pickup arrangements," she said. "If there's a court order or any change to authorized pickup instructions, please provide it immediately."
I nodded.
"Thank you."
When Liza came out of class, she looked surprised.
"Mom? What happened?"
"Nothing you need to panic about. I wanted to pick you up early."
She studied my face.
"You're scared."
I tried to smile.
"I'm being careful."
We drove home in silence.
That evening, I told her about the message in age-appropriate terms.
I didn't show her every detail.
I didn't describe the financial allegations.
But I refused to lie.
"Someone sent me an unpleasant message mentioning you," I explained. "I've reported it, and we're taking precautions."
Liza stared at me.
"Was it Grandma Valentina?"
"I don't know."
"Was it Dad?"
"I don't know that either."
She looked down.
Then she whispered:
"I don't want everyone to hate each other."
I sat beside her.
"Neither do I."
"Then why can't everyone just apologize?"
I took a slow breath.
"Because an apology only helps when someone is willing to stop doing the thing that caused the harm."
She considered that.
Then she asked:
"Can Dad change?"
I looked at my daughter.
I wanted to say yes.
I wanted to give her the comforting answer every child deserves.
But I knew I couldn't promise another person's transformation.
"I hope he can," I said. "But whether he changes is up to him."
She nodded.
Then she leaned against me.
I wrapped my arms around her.
For a moment, the world felt very small.
Just the two of us.
A mother and daughter trying to understand how a family could become so divided.
Later that night, Sergey knocked on my bedroom door.
We had been sleeping separately since the argument about the inheritance.
"Can we talk?"
I opened the door.
He looked exhausted.
"I heard you picked Liza up early."
"Yes."
"Why?"
I studied his face.
"Someone sent me a threatening message."
His expression changed.
"What kind of message?"
I showed him the screenshot.
He read it.
Then he looked at me.
"Who sent this?"
"I was hoping you could tell me."
His eyes widened.
"You think I threatened our daughter?"
"I think someone connected to the financial situation knows I'm investigating."
He handed back the phone.
"I would never hurt Liza."
"Then help me protect her."
He looked away.
"How?"
"Tell me everything about Harbor Crest Advisory."
His face went pale.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he whispered:
"Where did you hear that name?"
"From an investor."
He sat on the edge of the hallway bench.
"Oh, God."
I waited.
He covered his face.
"I told Mom this would happen."
My stomach tightened.
"What would happen?"
He looked up.
"That someone would find the transfers."
I stared at him.
"Did you know?"
He nodded slowly.
"Not at first."
"Sergey."
"I found out after the company started losing money."
"Then why didn't you report it?"
His eyes filled with tears.
"Because it was my mother."
I stood completely still.
For sixteen years, I had watched Sergey excuse his mother's behavior.
Her demands.
Her insults.
Her manipulation.
But I had never imagined he would protect her at the expense of innocent investors.
"How much did she take?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know the final amount."
"Did Irina know?"
He looked down.
"Yes."
I felt my heart sink.
"And you helped cover it up?"
He began crying.
"I thought if I could repay everyone, nobody would get hurt."
I stared at him.
"People already got hurt."
He nodded.
"I know."
For the first time, I saw my husband without the armor of his anger.
He looked frightened.
Ashamed.
Almost broken.
Part of me wanted to comfort him.
But another part remembered Margaret Ellis sitting across from me, describing the retirement savings she had lost.
I stepped back.
"Sergey, you need to tell the truth."
He wiped his face.
"If I do, Mom could go to prison."
"And if you don't?"
He looked at me.
I held his gaze.
"More people could lose everything."
He stood slowly.
Then he reached into his pocket.
He removed a small black flash drive.
"I copied the company records before Meridian shut down."
I stared at it.
"What's on there?"
"Bank transfers. Contracts. Emails. Everything I could save."
"Why didn't you give it to investigators?"
He looked toward the front door.
"Because Mom told me she'd destroy me if I did."
I felt a chill.
"What do you mean?"
His voice dropped.
"She has documents that could make it look like I was responsible for the missing money."
I stared at the flash drive.
May you like
Then he said:
"And Natalya, there's something else on here. Something about the apartment deed that you need to see before anyone else does."
