Chapter 4 - The Reckoning of Ewald
Within an hour, the suburban quiet of the neighborhood had been shattered. A second police cruiser had arrived to transport Ewald Vance to the precinct, while Lydia followed frantically in her leased luxury SUV, her aristocratic composure entirely ruined.
The living room was finally empty of officers, but the atmosphere remained thick with the fallout of the afternoon. Spilled bills were stacked neatly on the coffee table by Mr. Harrison, who was double-checking the evidence inventory log.
Bianca sat on the edge of the sofa, wrapped in a sweater, her head in her hands. She wasn't sobbing anymore; she was staring at the floor, her mind clearly racing to calculate how to minimize the damage.
"Alexander," Mr. Harrison said, closing his briefcase. "As your mother's legal counsel, I must inform you that criminal complaints have been officially logged against both Ewald Vance and Bianca Morgen. Due to the forged power-of-attorney documents filed in Munich, federal authorities regarding international fraud may become involved."
Alexander nodded slowly. He looked exhausted, the skin under his eyes dark with stress. "Do whatever is legally necessary, Mr. Harrison. Don't pull any punches on my account."
Bianca looked up sharply, her eyes red. "Alexander! You're really going to let them put my father in prison? You're going to put me in prison?!"
"You put yourself there, Bianca," Alexander said, not even turning to look at her. He walked over to the small wet bar in the corner of the room, poured a glass of cold water, and brought it over to me. He sank down onto his knees beside my chair, just as he had done an hour earlier when he gave me the envelope.
"Mom," he said, his voice trembling as he took my old, spotted hand in both of his. "I am so sorry. I was so blind. She made me believe... she made me think you were becoming forgetful, that you were trying to ruin my life out of bitterness."
I reached out and smoothed his hair, just as I used to do when he was a little boy crying over a scraped knee. "A mother knows when her son is being manipulated, Alexander. I wasn't angry at you. I was patient. I waited until the truth was so big that even a man in love couldn't ignore it."
Bianca stood up, her jaw set, trying one last tactic. She straightened her clothes and walked toward the dining table, picking up her designer handbag.
"Fine," Bianca said, her voice turning icy and vindictive. "Throw my father in jail. Sue me. But remember this, Alexander: this house is in both of our names. Half of your engineering firm's equity was established during our marriage. Under state law, I am entitled to fifty percent of everything you own. You want a divorce? I will take every single dime you have left."
Mr. Harrison let out a soft, amused chuckle. He pulled a single sheet of paper from his pocket and laid it flat on the glass table.
"I wouldn't be so certain of that, Mrs. Morgen," Mr. Harrison said smoothly.
Bianca sneered. "I signed a prenuptial agreement three years ago, Harrison! And my father's attorney made sure it had an infidelity and asset protection clause! If he divorces me without proof of unfaithfulness, I get half!"
"Ah, yes," Mr. Harrison replied, adjusting his glasses. "The post-nuptial amendment you signed fourteen months ago when Alexander agreed to invest in your father’s real estate firm. Did you read Clause 14-B?"
Bianca froze. "Clause 14-B?"
"It states," Mr. Harrison read aloud, "that in the event of any intentional criminal activity, fraud, or grand theft committed by either spouse against the other—or against the immediate family members of either spouse—the offending party forfeits all claims to marital assets, spousal support, and shared real estate."
Bianca stared at the lawyer, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "That... that wasn't in the contract!"
"Your father's attorney was careless," I chimed in gently. "He assumed my son was a simple boy who wouldn't consult an outside expert. I paid Mr. Harrison to review that amendment before Alexander signed it. We added Clause 14-B quietly, and your father signed it without reading the fine print because he was too eager to get his hands on Alexander's cash."
Bianca’s handbag slipped from her fingers, dropping heavily onto the floor.
"You..." Bianca whispered, looking at me as if I were a ghost. "You set this up..."
"No, Bianca," I said, leaning forward, my voice steady and firm. "You set the fire. I simply let it burn until everyone could see who held the match."
May you like
Mr. Harrison tapped the paper. "You have two hours to pack a single suitcase of personal belongings, Mrs. Morgen. Officers will be stationed outside to ensure no marital property or financial documents are removed from the premises. A formal eviction notice will be served by morning."
Bianca looked around the empty, luxurious living room. The life she had built on lies, arrogance, and stolen money was collapsing around her ears, leaving her with absolutely nothing.
