Chapter 6

The study was dark, the only light coming from the glow of the computer monitor and the green light of the photocopier. Audrey worked methodically, her knee throbbing with every step.

She had found the asset transfer documents. She had found the bank statements showing the monthly transfers to an account in Carmen's name. She had found the receipts for the jewelry he had bought his mistress-jewelry that probably wasn't fake.

But the deeper she dug, the more she realized what was missing. The main investment accounts were empty. The files that should have contained their joint tax returns for the last five years were gone. The folders were labeled, but the paper inside was gone.

The door handle rattled, then the lock clicked. The door swung open, flooding the room with light from the hallway.

Devonte stood in the doorway, his silhouette large and imposing. He was holding a thick sheaf of papers.

"Looking for something?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft.

Audrey straightened up, her hand instinctively moving to cover the photocopier. "Just organizing some files."

Devonte walked into the room and threw the papers at her face. They scattered in the air, landing around her like confetti. Audrey looked down. It was the prenuptial agreement. The one she had signed when she was twenty-two, naive, and desperately in love.

"You really think you can take me to the cleaners?" Devonte laughed, the sound harsh and grating. "You think your little lesbian lawyer friend can find a loophole in that?"

Audrey didn't say anything. She just stared at him, her jaw clenched.

"Let me make this easy for you," Devonte said, pulling out his phone. He tapped the screen a few times and turned it toward her. It was a banking app. The balance read $0.00. "I moved everything this morning. The cash, the stocks, the bonds. It's all in offshore accounts now. Accounts you can't touch."

Audrey's stomach dropped, but she kept her face blank.

"So you see, that prenup you're so scared of? It's worthless," Devonte said, leaning against the desk. "There is no marital estate to divide. You get nothing. No house, no alimony, no retirement."

"You can't just hide assets," Audrey said, her voice hoarse.

"I already did," Devonte smirked. "And if you try to fight me, I will drag your name through the mud. I will tell the court you're unfit, a mentally unstable alcoholic. I have witnesses, Audrey. The staff will say whatever I pay them to say."

He leaned in closer, his eyes glittering with malice. "And you will never see what's inside that Leo file. I'll make sure it's destroyed."

Audrey stared at him, waiting.

"Sign the divorce papers, and get out of my life, or I will bury you." Devonte shoved a pen toward her.

The threat to Leo's file was a sledgehammer to her chest. It wasn't just about money anymore; it was about the truth of her son. If she signed, she might lose her only link to him. If she didn't, Devonte would make her disappear into a psychiatric ward. She needed a shield, something he couldn't break.

She reached out and grabbed the prenuptial agreement off the floor. She looked at the signature line, the ink faded with time. Then she ripped the paper in half.

Devonte's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

She ripped it again. And again. She threw the shredded paper into his face. "I'll sign nothing until I know the truth about my son."

Devonte brushed the paper scraps off his suit, his expression shifting from shock to amusement. "You're crazy. You have no money, no power, and no one to protect you. The clock is ticking on your sanity, Audrey."

Audrey grabbed her purse and walked past him out of the room. She didn't look back. She walked out the front door, the cool evening air hitting her face.

She stood on the porch, the reality of her situation crashing over her. She was alone, penniless, and fighting for the truth about her child. She needed legal protection, someone who couldn't be intimidated by Devonte's money or threats.

She pulled out her phone and dialed the only number that mattered.

"Paige," she said, her voice shaking. "I need a favor. And it's a big one."