Chapter 5: First Moves

After the front door closed I stayed by the window a little longer. Then I locked the bedroom door and sat on the bed with my phone. I opened the video and watched it again from the start. Adrian’s voice. Maya’s soft laughs. The clear words about the papers and Nexus. My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to finish it.

I sent the file to two private cloud accounts I had never shared with anyone. Then I copied it onto a small USB drive I kept in an old jewelry box. When that was done I deleted the original from the phone and put the phone away.

I dressed quickly and called my driver.

“Take me to the Nexus building.”

The morning traffic was light. At the office the security guard nodded when he saw me. I went straight to the legal floor and asked for Mr. Han. He had been my father’s lawyer for twenty years. Quiet man. Careful. Loyal.

He stood when I entered his office.

“Miss Lila. I didn’t expect you so soon after the wedding.”

“I need a few things done today,” I said. “No one else should know.”

He closed the door and sat down. I kept my voice calm.

“Freeze any new document transfers that come through the company. Nothing moves without my direct signature in person. Also prepare a set of protective papers. Full control of Nexus stays in my name only. No joint rights. No temporary powers. Nothing Adrian can touch.”

Mr. Han looked at me for a long second.

“Is everything all right?”

“It will be,” I answered. “Just do it. Today if you can.”

He nodded slowly. “I’ll start right away. You’ll have the drafts by this afternoon.”

I thanked him and left. On the way out I walked past my own office and looked at the desk where my father used to sit. It still felt like mine.

Back home I spent the afternoon reading company reports on my laptop. Rosa brought lunch. I ate little. Time moved slow until evening.

Adrian came through the door at seven with a black folder under his arm and a bright smile.

“There she is. My beautiful wife.”

He kissed my cheek and held up the folder.

“I brought those papers I mentioned. Nothing serious. Just some tax adjustments. We can go over them after dinner.”

I smiled the way I used to.

“Okay. Let me change first.”

We ate in the dining room. Rosa served quietly. Adrian talked about his day, about meetings, about how happy he was that we were finally married. I nodded and answered when I needed to. The folder stayed on the table between us.

After the plates were cleared he opened it and slid the first page toward me.

“See? Simple. Just a few signatures here and here. It helps with the quarterly filings.”

I picked up the paper and looked at the small print. The same kind of paper that had once taken everything from me.

“What exactly does this transfer?” I asked.

He laughed lightly.

“Nothing important. Just some holding shares for tax purposes. Temporary.”

I turned another page.

“And this one?”

“Same thing. Standard.”

I set the papers down and rubbed my eyes.

“I’m tired, Adrian. The wedding, the party… my head feels heavy. Can I read them properly tomorrow? I don’t want to sign something while I’m half asleep.”

His smile tightened for a second. Then it came back smooth.

“Of course. No rush. Tomorrow is fine. I just want everything clean for us.”

He gathered the papers and put them back in the folder.

“I’ll leave them on the desk in the study.”

Later we sat in the living room for a while. He put his arm around me and talked about honeymoon ideas. I leaned against him and said soft words back. When he finally went upstairs to shower I stayed downstairs.

My phone rang. Maya’s name showed on the screen.

I answered.

“Hey.”

“Lila! How was the first full day of being Mrs. Adrian?” Her voice was bright and warm. “Are you happy? Did he spoil you?”

“It was quiet,” I said. “We’re both tired.”

“That’s normal. The big day takes everything out of you. Rest a lot. And call me if you need anything, okay? I’m still your sister.”

“I know. Thank you.”

We spoke a few more minutes about nothing important. When the call ended I stared at the dark screen for a moment. Her sweet voice still echoed in my ear.

I went up to the study, locked the door, and opened my laptop. The company banking portal loaded quickly. I logged into the emergency reserve account first. Then my personal accounts.

One by one I started new transfers. Large amounts. Quiet accounts I had opened years ago under different names and never used. Accounts Adrian had never seen. I moved money from the company emergency fund and from my own savings. Each transfer needed confirmation. I typed the codes carefully.

When the last one went through I sat back in the chair. The room was dark except for the screen light. A small smile pulled at my mouth as I hit the final confirm button.

The money was gone from places he could reach.

Safe.

Mine.

I closed the laptop and sat in the silence.

The first real step was done.