Chapter 3 - The Reconstruction of the Crime
The look on Lucas’s face when Victoria Vance walked into the dining room was worth every single year of my silent submission. His eyes darted from the torn documents to the forensic team setting up laptops on our sideboard.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lucas demanded, trying to puff out his chest. "Margot, who are these people? Why have you brought strangers into our private financial matters?"
"These aren't strangers, Mr. Stephens," Victoria said, pulling a pristine, court-stamped document from her briefcase. "I am Victoria Vance, representing your wife in a newly filed action for legal separation, frozen asset declaration, and a comprehensive forensic audit of Aegis Holdings."
Lucas’s face turned an ugly, mottled shade of purple. "This is ridiculous! Aegis Holdings is a private corporate entity. It has nothing to do with Margot. She’s a novelist, she doesn't understand corporate structure!"
"Oh, I understand plot twists quite well, Lucas," I said, leaning against the doorframe. "I know about the offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. I know about the whited-out names in your hidden metal box. And I know about Elaine."
At the mention of Elaine’s name, Lucas’s confidence finally cracked. He took a step back, his eyes widening. "You... you've been spying on me."
"No, Lucas. I woke up," I corrected him coldly. "I heard you at two in the morning telling your accomplice that I don't suspect a thing. I heard you laugh at my life's work, calling my bestsellers 'little novels' to occupy my time while you stole millions in royalties."
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One of Victoria’s forensic accountants tapped his keyboard. "Ms. Vance, we’ve just bypassed the encryption on the primary Aegis routing numbers. It appears Mr. Stephens has already attempted to wire two million dollars of Ms. Stephens’s book advances to a private account in Switzerland within the last twenty minutes."
Victoria smiled, a terrifyingly sharp expression. "Well, isn't that convenient. Intentional dissipation of marital assets during a pending divorce action. Mr. Stephens, I suggest you call your lawyers. Because by tomorrow morning, you won't even have enough liquidity to pay their retainer."
