Chapter 3 - The Mother-in-Law's Game
I stared at the brown envelope as if it contained a live explosive.
My greedy, arrogant ex-husband had somehow entangled my name with a ruthless international crime syndicate.
"Arthur thinks he outsmarted you, but he actually just signed his own death warrant," Elias explained quietly.
"If the cartel realizes the fifty million was stolen from a frozen corporate entity, they will kill him," I realized aloud.
"They will not stop with Arthur," Elias warned me.
"The loan is in your name, which means the cartel will eventually come looking for you to collect their debt."
I needed to find Arthur immediately and force him to reverse the catastrophic wire transfer before it cleared.
Since Arthur was not answering my calls, I knew exactly who would know his location.
I left the private bank and instructed my driver to take me to the prestigious Oak Ridge Country Club.
Victoria Vance practically lived at the club, spending her days drinking expensive champagne and gossiping with wealthy socialites.
I found my former mother-in-law sitting at a shaded patio table, wearing a ridiculous designer sunhat.
She was sipping a mimosa and laughing loudly with three other older women.
The moment she saw me approaching, her fake smile vanished into a sneer of absolute disgust.
"I am currently having a private breakfast with my friends, Clara," Victoria said loudly.
"We need to talk about Arthur in private right now," I demanded, ignoring the gasps of her wealthy companions.
Victoria slowly placed her crystal glass on the table and stood up.
"You have no right to demand anything after humiliating me at the charity gala last night."
She grabbed her expensive leather purse and motioned for me to follow her toward the empty rose garden.
Once we were completely out of earshot, she turned on me with venom in her eyes.
"Arthur told me he finally threw you out onto the street where you belong."
"Arthur just stole fifty million dollars from a Mexican cartel using my forged signature," I told her bluntly.
Victoria did not gasp in horror.
She did not deny the accusation.
Instead, a cruel, knowing smile spread slowly across her heavily manicured face.
"My son is a visionary businessman who simply secured the capital he needed to launch his new venture."
"Are you completely insane?" I asked, utterly bewildered by her calm reaction to international wire fraud.
"Arthur knows exactly what he is doing, and the money is completely safe in the Cayman Islands."
"If you don't tell me where he is, the federal government is going to put both of you in prison," I threatened.
Victoria laughed a high, grating sound that echoed through the quiet garden.
"You are not going to the police, Clara."
She unzipped her designer purse and pulled out a high-resolution photograph.
She shoved the glossy picture directly into my trembling hands.
"You are going to go home, stay completely quiet, and accept your new reality."
May you like
I looked down at the photograph and felt the air completely leave my lungs.
It was a picture of my estranged younger sister, Mia, sitting in a dark room, tightly tied to a wooden chair.
