Chapter 2 - The Digital Intruder
I stared at the digital receipt, unable to comprehend how a dead man had just saved my life.
I decided not to question the miracle, focusing entirely on getting my children home.
I immediately purchased three premium direct tickets back to the United States.
Maria hugged me tightly and arranged for an airport transport to rush us to the embassy.
The embassy officials fast-tracked our emergency travel documents with unprecedented speed.
We boarded a transatlantic flight just six hours after Ryan had smiled and abandoned us.
I spent the entire flight staring out the window, planning my ruthless revenge.
I was no longer the tired, grieving widow that my family loved to push around.
We landed in our home city under the cover of darkness, completely undetected.
My children were exhausted, sleeping soundly in the back of the taxi I hailed at the curb.
As we drove toward my neighborhood, I opened my smart home security app to check the house.
I expected to see a dark, empty property waiting for my return.
Instead, the live feed showed every single light in the living room burning brightly.
I tapped the screen to enlarge the camera view from the front hallway.
My blood boiled as I watched Ryan pouring two glasses of expensive champagne.
He handed one glass to the woman sitting comfortably on my grandmother's antique sofa.
The woman laughing and toasting to my absolute ruin was my own mother.
Then the camera picked up the audio of their conversation echoing through my house.
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My mother praised Ryan for executing the airport plan flawlessly without raising suspicion.
She raised her glass and said she could not wait to sign the forged deed in the morning.
