Chapter 5 - The Person We Trusted Was Working for Ellis
We arrived in Atlanta just before noon.
Daniel had arranged a secure location.
A small office building owned by one of his friends.
We thought we were safe.
We weren't.
The moment we entered, the lights went out.
Daniel shouted.
“Down!”
A loud crash came from the hallway.
Then footsteps.
Someone was coming.
We ran through the back door.
Outside, a black sedan sped away.
Evelyn looked at Daniel.
“How did they find us?”
Daniel didn't answer.
I did.
“Someone knew where we were going.”
Then I noticed Daniel's phone.
It was connected to the building's Wi-Fi.
I looked at him.
“You told someone.”
“No.”
“Then how did they know?”
Daniel's face changed.
“My phone.”
He threw it onto the pavement.
The screen was cracked.
“It's been compromised.”
We needed another plan.
Daniel took us to an old warehouse.
There, he showed me a server containing copies of Ellis's financial records.
I watched the files appear.
Millions of dollars.
Hundreds of transfers.
Dozens of shell companies.
And then I saw something that made my heart stop.
My name.
SABRINA CHAPPELL.
There were documents showing Ellis had transferred ownership of several properties into my name years earlier.
I stared at them.
“What is this?”
Daniel sighed.
“Ellis used your identity.”
“For what?”
“Money laundering.”
I felt dizzy.
“He made it look like you owned companies you didn't know existed.”
“So if he gets caught…”
“You could be blamed.”
Everything suddenly made sense.
The divorce.
The custody battle.
The money.
He hadn't wanted to get rid of me because I was useless.
He wanted me isolated.
He wanted me powerless.
He wanted me legally responsible for crimes I didn't commit.
I looked at Daniel.
“How do I prove I'm innocent?”
“By exposing him first.”
Then Evelyn pointed at another file.
“There.”
A transfer scheduled for the next morning.
Six million dollars.
From Noah's trust.
Destination:
Zurich.
Ellis was going to steal Noah's money and disappear.
But there was another problem.
The transfer required Noah's biometric authorization.
Meaning Ellis needed Noah alive.
And cooperative.
I suddenly understood the danger.
Noah wasn't simply a witness.
He was the key.
My phone rang.
Ellis.
I answered.
“Where is my son?”
He laughed.
“You finally figured it out.”
“Let Noah go.”
“You're becoming more interesting than I expected.”
“Why did you use my name?”
“Because you were convenient.”
“You destroyed our family for money.”
“No.”
His voice became cold.
“I destroyed the illusion that you mattered.”
I clenched my fist.
“Where is Noah?”
“Tomorrow morning, we fly.”
“You're not leaving.”
“I'm afraid you don't get to decide that.”
Then he whispered:
“Ask your friend Daniel why he really left my company.”
The call ended.
I looked at Daniel.
“What did he mean?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Evelyn stared at him.
“Daniel.”
He lowered his head.
“I made a deal with Ellis.”
My heart dropped.
“What kind of deal?”
“He promised to leave my family alone if I helped him hide the money.”
I stepped backward.
“You knew?”
“I didn't know everything.”
“You knew enough.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I've regretted it every day.”
Before I could respond, the warehouse doors opened.
Police officers entered.
I raised my hands.
But then one officer looked at me.
“Mrs. Chappell?”
“Yes?”
“You're under arrest.”
My heart stopped.
“For what?”
He turned his tablet toward me.
There were documents.
My signature.
My name.
Millions of dollars.
Fraud.
Money laundering.
Financial conspiracy.
I looked at Daniel.
He was crying.
Then I realized the final piece of Ellis's plan.
May you like
He hadn't just framed me.
He had prepared the evidence years ago.
Related Stories
