Chapter 2: The Audit That Changed Everything
Vanessa laughed, setting her glass down on the mahogany table with a sharp clack. "Oh, Julian, are you still sulking? It’s done. The deed is transferred. Don't be dramatic."
Julian walked down the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the room. He walked past her, placing the manila envelope on the dining table. "I didn't believe the house was too much for my mother, Vanessa. I believed something was wrong with the paperwork. So, I hired an independent firm. Not the one you’ve been using."
He opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of documents, spreading them across the table. "I just got the forensic audit... and that signature on the deed isn't mine. And it certainly isn't my mother's."
The air in the room vanished. Vanessa’s face went white. She scrambled toward the table, trying to grab the papers, but Julian stepped in front of her. His authority was lethal; it was the look of a man who had been watching, waiting, and recording every single move she made for the last three months.
"You forged my power of attorney," Julian continued, his voice devoid of emotion. "You forged my mother’s signature. And you did it while thinking I was too distracted by work to notice the discrepancy in the bank statements."
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"It's a mistake!" Vanessa shrieked, her public image of the 'perfect, sophisticated wife' shattering instantly. "Julian, you're insane! You don't know what you're doing!"
"I know exactly what I'm doing," Julian said. He pointed to the door. "I know that you planned to evict my mother next week. I know you had the developer’s contract already sitting in your desk drawer."
