Chapter 4 - THE COUNTEROFFENSIVE
At 8:00 AM on Monday, I sat in the office of Clara Vance, the premier forensic accountant and family law attorney in Charlottesville.
Clara was sixty-two, with short silver hair, sharp gray eyes, and a reputation for dismantling deceptive marital assets with surgical precision. She spread the documents I had copied across her mahogany desk, looking through them with a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose.
“Your husband is reckless, Megan,” Clara said, setting down her pen. “Which is good for us, but dangerous for you.”
“How dangerous?” I asked, leaning forward.
“He didn't just forge your signature on a commercial contract,” Clara explained. “He used your social security number to open the Ellis Operational Holdings account. That constitutes federal bank fraud. Furthermore, if he attempted to sell equity in a property he does not legally own to Sloan Hospitality, that is wire fraud and grand larceny.”
“Can he take the bakery?”
“Not if we move faster than he does,” Clara said firmly. “First, we file an emergency motion for an ex parte injunction. That will freeze all bank accounts associated with Rose & Rye and Ellis Operational Holdings, preventing him from moving another dollar. Second, we file a lis pendens on the Linden Street property to block any attempt to leverage the deed.”
She leaned back, looking at me carefully over her glasses. “However, Wade’s lawyer will likely push back hard. They will claim that Wade’s sweat equity over nine years entitles him to a fifty-percent constructive trust in the business. They will try to exhaust your financial resources before we reach a trial date.”
“I have my grandmother’s ring back,” I said softly, touching the bare skin of my left hand. Officer Alvarez had returned it to me late Sunday night after verifying the police report and appraisal papers. “And I have Avery Sloan.”
Clara smiled—a razor-sharp, dangerous expression. “Tell me about Miss Sloan.”
An hour later, Avery joined us in Clara’s office. She brought a thick tablet containing Sloan Hospitality’s internal correspondence, including recorded phone calls Wade had made to their acquisitions team.
“Wade told us the bakery was facing an immediate buyout from a commercial chain,” Avery told Clara. “He claimed he was trying to save the local brand by bringing in our firm. He even produced a fake appraisal showing the property was worth 1.8 million dollars.”
“And what is Sloan Hospitality’s official position now?” Clara asked.
“My board is horrified,” Avery said bluntly. “If this story gets out—that we almost partnered with a man who stole his wife’s inheritance and assaulted her at a public event—our brand reputation is ruined. We want out. But I want to make sure Megan isn't left holding the debt he created.”
Avery looked at me, her eyes filled with genuine resolve. “I spoke to my CEO this morning. Sloan Hospitality is willing to provide an official affidavit detailing Wade’s fraudulent representations. We will also assign our legal team to assist Clara’s office in tracing the diverted funds.”
I felt a lump form in my throat. “Why are you doing this, Avery? You could just walk away and cut your losses.”
Avery reached across the desk and touched my arm gently.
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“Because twelve days ago, that man put a stolen ring on my finger and lied to my face,” she said quietly. “He tried to use my company to steal your life. I might have been fooled by him for a few weeks, Megan, but I’m not letting him get away with it.”
Clara tapped her desk with her pen. “Good. We have the evidence, we have the witness, and we have the paper trail. Now, let’s give Wade Ellis the surprise of his life.”
