Chapter 2 - The Paper Trail of Betrayal
"They took out a second mortgage on the house, Mom," Delilah explained, a tear finally slipping down her hollow cheek. "I know the deed is in your name, but they forged your signature. They used a corrupt notary who works for Beatrice’s brother."
I stared at the notarized document. There it was—a crude, clumsy imitation of my signature, authorizing a line of credit for $250,000 against the house I had bought with my inheritance.
"Where did the money go?" I asked, the rage in my chest hardening into ice.
"Into a shell company called 'Mercer Logistics,'" Delilah said, pointing to the bank statements. "But it's not a logistics company. Beatrice has a severe gambling addiction. They used the money to pay off her debts to some very dangerous people in Cleveland, and when the money ran out, they tried to force me to sign over Noah’s trust fund."
"And when you refused?"
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Delilah looked down, pulling back the sleeve of her sweater to reveal dark, fading bruises around her wrists. "Evan pinned me to the desk. He told me if I didn't sign, he would tell the police I was an unfit mother and take Noah away forever. Then Beatrice packed my clothes in garbage bags and told me to get out."
I reached across the table, taking her bruised hands in mine. "They made a fatal mistake, sweetheart. They forgot who actually owns that house. And they forgot that I know exactly how to audit a criminal."
