Chapter 3 — Seven Days
Chapter 3 — Seven Days
By noon the next day, every member of the household had received a written notice.
Victoria had seven days to leave.
Claire had twenty-four hours.
Ryan had no guaranteed right to remain because the house had never been marital property. Emma had purchased it before their marriage under the terms of a separate trust.
Victoria tore her notice in half.
“This is meaningless.”
Samuel placed another copy on the dining table.
“That was decorative. The legally served copy has already been recorded.”
Claire stood near the staircase wearing one of Emma’s silk robes.
Emma noticed immediately.
Claire followed her gaze and smiled.
“I spilled coffee on my dress.”
“That robe belonged to my mother.”
Claire’s smile widened.
“Then perhaps she should have taken better care of it.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“Claire, change.”
She turned toward him.
“Excuse me?”
“Change out of it.”
Claire’s expression shifted.
It was the first time Ryan had contradicted her.
But Emma felt no satisfaction.
He had watched his mother throw his pregnant wife into the rain. Ordering his mistress to remove a stolen robe did not make him brave.
Victoria pointed at Emma.
“You manipulated an old man.”
Emma remained calm.
“Your father-in-law contacted me after he discovered you were borrowing against family assets.”
“That is none of your business.”
“It became my business when you tried to pressure Ryan into using our joint savings to cover your debts.”
Ryan looked sharply at his mother.
“What debts?”
Victoria froze.
Samuel opened a folder.
“Luxury credit accounts. Private club fees. Two failed investment schemes. And a personal loan secured using documents from the Carter family company.”
Ryan’s face drained of color.
“You said the company was stable.”
“It is stable.”
Samuel shook his head.
“It was stable. Before someone withdrew two million dollars through shell consulting contracts.”
Ryan gripped the back of a chair.
“Who?”
Samuel glanced toward Claire.
She did not move.
But the color left her face.
Emma saw it.
So did Ryan.
Claire laughed nervously.
“Why is everyone looking at me?”
Samuel closed the folder.
“Because all three consulting companies were registered using the same mailing address.”
Claire’s voice became thin.
“What address?”
“Your apartment.”
Ryan stared at her.
Claire’s smile vanished.
Victoria stepped between them.
“This is absurd. Claire has done nothing but help this family.”
Emma looked at Samuel.
“Do we have bank records?”
“We have enough to request them.”
Claire suddenly turned and walked toward the stairs.
Samuel’s voice stopped her.
“Ms. Morgan.”
She looked back.
“You have twenty-four hours to remove your personal belongings.”
Claire’s eyes hardened.
“You think you’ve won?”
Emma rested one hand over her belly.
“No.”
She looked around the dining room.
“I think I’ve finally stopped losing.”
That evening, after everyone had gone upstairs, Emma entered the nursery.
The room had been stripped.
The crib was gone.
The shelves were empty.
On the floor lay a single torn photograph from her ultrasound appointment.
May you like
Across the image, someone had written two words in red ink.
NOT WANTED.
