Chapter 3 - THE DEBT TRAPHunter's financial situation was worse than we imagined.
Caldwell Industries had been bleeding money for nearly two years.
But Hunter had hidden it through a complicated network of shell companies.
Patricia controlled several.
Lexi controlled one.
And Hunter controlled the rest.
Money moved between them.
Loans were created.
Fake invoices appeared.
Properties were transferred.
And the most shocking part?
My name had already been prepared for one of the companies.
I stared at the document.
“That's forgery.”
“Yes,” my father's attorney said.
“My signature?”
“Forged.”
I felt sick.
Hunter had planned this before our wedding.
He wasn't trying to make me contribute to household expenses.
He was trying to attach me to his debt.
If his company collapsed, creditors could potentially pursue anything connected to the fraudulent arrangement.
But there was one problem.
The real Sterling family lawyers had already placed protective restrictions around my assets.
Hunter's plan would fail.
Completely.
Unless he could get me to sign.
That explained the contract.
The $3,000 was a distraction.
The power-of-attorney clause was the real weapon.
Once I signed, they could begin using my credit identity.
My father looked at me.
“Do you want to press charges?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because I want them to reveal the whole plan.”
My attorney smiled.
“Then we'll give them something to chase.”
We created a false financial profile.
Not fake enough to be illegal.
Just enough to make Hunter believe I was vulnerable.
A small inheritance.
A bank account.
A potential property sale.
Nothing real.
Everything monitored.
Then I returned to Hunter's house.
He opened the door himself.
His expression changed when he saw me.
“Tess.”
“Can I come in?”
He stepped aside.
Patricia appeared behind him.
She looked furious.
“You came back.”
“Yes.”
Hunter smiled.
“I knew you would.”
I looked at him.
“You were right.”
He relaxed.
That was exactly what I wanted.
I placed a folder on the table.
“I'll sign.”
Patricia nearly smiled.
“Good.”
Hunter reached for the folder.
“But,” I said, “I have conditions.”
He paused.
“What conditions?”
“I want full financial disclosure.”
His face changed.
“Why?”
“Because I'm your wife.”
Patricia laughed.
“You don't need to know everything.”
“I do now.”
Hunter stared at me.
Then slowly smiled.
“Fine.”
I knew he was lying.
And he knew I knew.
But neither of us said it.
The following morning, Hunter transferred the first payment from the fake account.
The moment he did...
my attorney received the alert.
We had him.
But we needed more.
So I let him continue.
For three weeks.
He moved money.
Created documents.
Signed forms.
Used my identity.
Every action was recorded.
Then came the mistake.
Hunter transferred $4.8 million into an account controlled by Patricia.
He wrote one description:
FINAL PROTECTION PAYMENT.
My attorney looked at the screen.
“That's enough.”
I smiled.
“Not yet.”
“What are you waiting for?”
I looked at the next transaction.
A payment to Lexi.
$500,000.
Description:
FOR KEEPING HER QUIET.
I stared at it.
May you like
Then laughed.
Hunter had just exposed the secret that could destroy all three of them.
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