Chapter 6 : The trap

The signature at the bottom of that page looked like mine, but I had no memory of giving Ryan permission to destroy my life with it.

I kept staring at the screen. The words refused to make sense. No. Damian didn’t move. I looked at him. “That’s not possible. You signed it. I know my signature. Then you know what that means.

I pushed the phone away.

No. I signed divorce papers. I didn’t sign away everything I own.

Damian’s expression remained unreadable. Those aren’t the same thing. My chest tightened.

I took the phone back and read the clause again.

Then I remembered the day Ryan’s lawyer had come to the hotel. The papers had been thick. Too thick.

I had been exhausted, humiliated, barely sleeping. Ryan had already frozen my accounts by then, and I had spent most of the meeting trying not to cry in front of a stranger.

The lawyer had kept saying the same thing. It’s a straightforward divorce. I had believed him. God, I had been stupid. I want a copy. You’ll have one.

I want the entire agreement. You’ll have that too.

I looked up sharply. And I want to know exactly what Ryan took. Something flickered across Damian’s face.

Approval, maybe. You’re finally asking the right question.

I don’t need you to tell me what questions to ask.

His eyes held mine. No. You don’t.

The agreement was sent to his phone a few minutes later.

Damian placed it on the table between us. I began reading.

The first pages were exactly what I’d expected.

Property. Bank accounts. Investments.

Then I reached the section Damian had pointed out.

My stomach turned. Ryan hadn’t taken my inheritance.

He hadn’t taken the money that belonged to my family.

He had taken control of the assets I had acquired after our marriage. Companies I’d invested in. Shares I’d purchased.

A property I’d bought with money from my own trust.

Nearly everything I’d built during four years of marriage. I looked at Damian. How much?

He didn’t answer. Damian. His eyes lowered to the document. Enough. My laugh came out bitter.

That isn’t a number. No. So give me one. He hesitated.

Thirty-eight million. Everything inside me went still.

Thirty-eight million dollars. I stared at him. Then at the document. Then back at him. He took thirty-eight million dollars?

“He took control of assets valued around that amount.”

I swallowed. And I signed it. Yes.” I leaned back against the sofa. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

Ryan had cheated on me. He had humiliated me.

He had walked away as though four years meant nothing. But this… This was calculated. He had planned it. Every conversation. Every signature.

Every moment he’d made me feel too broken to think clearly. My eyes burned.I refused to cry.

Not here. Not in front of Damian. I stood abruptly.

I need air. I walked toward the glass doors. Eva.”

I didn’t stop. Eva. His voice was closer now. I turned.

He was standing several feet away. wasn’t touching me, wasn’t trying to comfort me, He simply looked at me. You’re not going back to Ryan. I almost laughed.

I wasn’t planning to. You don’t understand.

“Then explain it. Damian’s expression hardened.

“Ryan didn’t freeze your accounts because he wanted a divorce. My pulse quickened.

“He did it because he needed you desperate.”For what? He stared at me for a long moment. Then his phone rang. He glanced at the screen. His entire expression changed.

Who is it? He didn’t answer. He simply walked away and answered the call. I watched him listen.

Then I heard him say four words that made the blood drain from my face.

She’s already here. He ended the call. I stared at him.

Who was that? Damian looked toward the entrance.

My lawyer. And? He just received something from Ryan. What? Damian’s eyes came back to mine.

A court filing. My heart slammed against my ribs.

For what? He took one step toward me. Ryan is claiming you stole from him. For a few seconds, I couldn’t speak.

Then I laughed. It wasn’t because anything was funny.

It was the kind of laugh that escaped when something was so absurd your mind couldn’t find another response.

He’s accusing me? Damian didn’t smile. Yes. Of stealing from him?” Yes. I shook my head.

“He froze my accounts. Took control of my assets. And now he’s accusing me of stealing? Apparently. I walked toward him. What did I supposedly steal? Money.

Which money? He didn’t answer immediately. That was when I knew there was more.

What aren’t you telling me? Damian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“There’s an allegation that you transferred a large amount of money out of one of Ryan’s companies before filing for divorce.

My mouth fell open. I’ve never even had access to that company. I know. Then why would he say that?

Because the transfer exists. I stopped breathing.

What? Damian stepped closer. Someone moved twelve million dollars. My fingers went numb.

When? The night before you found Ryan with Sophia.”

I stared at him. The room seemed to tilt. I was home that night. I know. I never touched his accounts.

“I know that too. Then who did? Damian didn’t answer.

He walked to the table and picked up his phone.

That’s what we’re going to find out. I followed him.

Why do you sound so calm? Because panic won’t help you. I am being accused of stealing twelve million dollars! And you’re innocent. You don’t know that.”

His gaze locked onto mine. I know more about Ryan than you do.

There was something in his voice that made me stop.

He opened another document.

“This transfer wasn’t made from Ryan’s personal account.”

I looked at the screen. It came from a company. Yes.”

His company? Damian shook his head. No. I frowned.

“Then whose? He looked at me. Yours. The word hit me harder than anything else.

My company? You own the majority. I don’t understand. You will. He slid the phone toward me.

There was a transaction record. My name. My company. Twelve million dollars.

And underneath it was a destination account.

I stared at the account number. Something about it looked familiar. Then I remembered.

I had seen those numbers before. On Ryan’s laptop.

The night before our anniversary. I had asked him what he was working on. He’d closed the screen and kissed my forehead. Nothing you need to worry about.

My stomach dropped. That’s his account.”

Damian’s expression changed. What?” I’ve seen it before. Are you sure? Yes.I looked at the transaction again.

Ryan had moved twelve million dollars from a company I controlled…

into an account connected to him.

Then somehow made it look as though I had done it.

I felt sick. He set me up. Damian said nothing. I looked at him. Why? His phone vibrated again. He checked the screen. This time, he didn’t hide the message.

His lawyer had sent one sentence.

They’ve requested an emergency hearing for tomorrow morning.

My knees nearly gave out. Tomorrow? Damian caught my arm before I could stumble. His hand closed around my waist for balance.

For one suspended second, neither of us moved.

His body was close. Too close. I could feel the warmth of him through my clothes. His eyes dropped briefly to my mouth. Then returned to my eyes. The air between us changed.

Neither of us spoke. Then his hand slowly left my waist. We have one night. I swallowed. One night to do what?”

His expression turned cold again. Prove your husband framed you. He paused.

And find out why he needs you blamed before tomorrow morning.”