Chapter 4 - Cracks in the Alliance
Desperation is a dangerous emotion. It forces people to turn on their own, and that was exactly what was happening inside Patricia Sullivan’s cramped two-bedroom apartment—the only property she owned that wasn't tied up in the lawsuit.
"This is your fault!" Emma screamed, throwing a throw pillow at her brother. "You told me we were going to be rich! You said Chloe’s uncle was just a quiet old man who wouldn't want the public embarrassment. Now I can’t even use my credit cards! My friends are blocking me on Instagram!"
"Shut up, Emma!" Ryan yelled back, his hair disheveled, his eyes bloodshot. "Do you think I wanted this? I lost my job today! Marcus fired me on the spot!"
Patricia sat at the kitchen table, her hands trembling as she clutched a mug of black coffee. The smug, arrogant woman who had locked Chloe out of her own home was gone, replaced by a panicked, aging social climber who saw her entire life's work turning to dust.
"We need to fight back," Patricia said, her voice sharp but brittle. "We still have the signed quitclaim deed. Even if they claim fraud, it’s her signature on the paper. A handwriting expert will confirm it. We just need to prove she was of sound mind when she signed it."
"And how do we do that, Mom?" Ryan asked bitterly. "She was on heavy painkillers at the hospital. Her medical records will show she wasn't in any condition to sign legal documents. Her uncle’s lawyers will tear us apart in front of a judge."
"Then we make a deal," Patricia suggested, her eyes narrowing. "We offer to return the house in exchange for dropping the charges and unfrezing our accounts. We keep the three million we moved offshore."
Before Ryan could answer, his phone buzzed. It was an email from an unknown address. He clicked it open, and his face turned entirely white.
The email contained a single attachment. It was a video file.
With trembling fingers, Ryan pressed play. The video showed Ryan and Patricia sitting in a restaurant two months ago, huddled close together. The audio was crystal clear.
“Once she gives birth, she’ll be too weak to fight,” Ryan’s voice said on the recording. “We get her to sign the papers, kick her out, and she’ll have no choice but to accept whatever settlement we offer. She’s weak, Mom. Just like her father was.”
“Good,” Patricia’s voice replied. “Make sure the offshore account is fully set up. We don't want any of that money traceable to us when we strip her clean.”
The video ended.
Ryan dropped the phone onto the table. "They... they have us on camera. They’ve been recording us for months."
"Who?" Patricia gasped, her voice barely a whisper.
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"Daniel Vance," Ryan whispered, terror finally taking complete hold of him. "He didn't just find us out yesterday. He’s been watching us the entire time. He let us do this. He let us commit the crime so he could bury us alive."
Suddenly, there was a heavy knock on the apartment door.
