Emma knocked softly on the door and came in with two cups of coffee. “You should see this,” she said, turning on the television.
The morning business segment was underway. The presenter’s calm tone barely masked the urgency.
Federal authorities executed a search warrant at Mitchell, Sterling & Associates early this morning, seizing documents and computer equipment. Sources suggest allegations of embezzlement and wire fraud related to the portfolios of elderly clients.
The screen showed agents carrying boxes from Travis’s office building as employees gathered outside, confused. Marcus appeared briefly, shielding his face, as he was escorted to a vehicle for questioning.
“The firm issued a statement distancing itself from any alleged misconduct by individual members,” the presenter continued. “Sources at the country club report that several memberships have been suspended pending an investigation.”
My phone rang again. This time it was Elizabeth Hartley, the lawyer I had discreetly hired two weeks earlier.
“Good morning, Savannah,” he said curtly. “I assume you’ve seen the news.
” “Yes.”
I’ll file your divorce petition at nine o’clock, when the court opens. Given the criminal investigation and the documentation you’ve provided, we request the immediate preservation of assets and an expedited procedure. That moral depravity clause in your prenuptial agreement? It works in your favor.
At 7:15 a.m., tires squealed outside Emma’s driveway. Through the kitchen window, I saw Travis’s Audi carelessly veering off the road into the garden.
He came out looking unrecognizable: his suit was wrinkled, his face unshaven, and his hair disheveled by restless hands.
“Stay upstairs,” Emma said firmly. “I’ll take care of him.”
But he couldn’t remain hidden. She needed to see him, not as the refined companion, but as the man stripped of control.
I stayed at the top of the stairs, out of sight, listening.
He knocked on the door. “Emma, open it. I know he’s here.”
Emma cracked open the door, the chain locked. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
“I don’t care,” he snapped. “He’s ruined everything: my career, my reputation. He has to fix this.”
“Fix what?” Emma asked calmly. “The consequences of your actions?”
“I gave her everything,” she said, her voice breaking. “I took her out of that life as an insignificant teacher and made her somebody. I introduced her to important people. I taught her how to introduce herself. She was a nobody before me.”
“She was my sister long before you came into her life,” Emma said, her tone icy. “She was a teacher adored by her students. A woman with friends, dignity, and self-respect. You took all of that away from her and made her believe she should feel lucky for the crumbs you gave her.”
“This is a kidnapping,” Travis blurted out. “She’s my wife. I’m calling the police.”
“Please,” Emma replied calmly. “I’m sure the authorities would be very interested to hear from you right now. Especially considering the federal investigation.”
Her palm slammed against the door frame. “She orchestrated this. That birthday dinner. She knew how I’d react. She set me up.”
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