Chapter 8: The Cold Ledger
The home office was illuminated only by the harsh, blue-white glow of dual computer monitors reflecting off Marcus's glasses. It was past midnight, but neither of us could sleep. I sat curled up in the corner armchair with a sketchpad, while Marcus methodically cross-referenced the newly decrypted bank statements with the timeline of his marriage to Danielle.
"Look at this," Marcus said quietly, turning one of the monitors toward me.
I got up and walked over to the desk, peering at the financial spreadsheets. Rows of highlighted transactions showed large sums transferred out of joint accounts just days before the wedding ceremony, routed through a series of intermediate accounts before landing in an overseas repository.
"She was planning to leave you right after the wedding, wasn't she?" I asked, the realization chilling me to the bone.
"She wasn't just planning to leave," Marcus corrected, his voice dangerously calm as his fingers danced across the keyboard. "She was planning to drain every asset I owned, pin the corporate liability on my business credit, and disappear abroad with her partner. The wedding was just a public relations stunt to secure her alibi."
He clicked a final folder open, revealing an email draft addressed to an international relocation agency, dated three days before we walked down the aisle. The evidence was absolute, airtight, and completely devastating to any defense her legal team could possibly construct.
Marcus picked up his desk phone, dialed a direct extension, and waited through three rings before speaking.
"Arthur? It's Marcus. We have the complete wire transfers. Forward the entire encrypted package directly to the district attorney's financial crimes unit tonight."
He listened for a moment, nodding slowly.
"Yes. No more settlements. Let the courts handle the rest."
May you like
He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, exhaling a long, steady breath. The digital war was effectively over before it had even begun. He looked up at me, offering a reassuring smile that finally reached his eyes.
"Come on, Chloe," he said, standing up and shutting down the monitors. "Let's turn the lights off. We're done looking at the past."
