Chapter 1 - THE FIRST CALL
Richard’s phone kept ringing inside the house.
At first, he ignored it.
He was standing behind Daniel’s desk, pulling open drawers and scattering documents across the floor like he had already decided everything belonged to him.
Then the phone stopped.
Three seconds later, it rang again.
Kelsey leaned against the doorway and frowned.
“Maybe you should answer that.”
Richard grabbed the phone.
“What?”
I could not hear the voice on the other end, but I watched his expression change through the open front door.
His face went from irritation to confusion.
Then confusion became fear.
“What do you mean the account is frozen?”
Kelsey stopped smiling.
Richard turned away from the doorway.
“No, you listen to me.”
He lowered his voice.
“I am Emily Hale’s father.”
Margaret was still on my phone.
“Emily, are the police there yet?”
“I can hear the sirens.”
“Good.”
“Margaret, what just happened?”
“Daniel’s trust attorney contacted the bank.”
She paused.
“Richard attempted to move money from an estate account this morning.”
My stomach tightened.
“He has access?”
“He shouldn’t.”
A contraction rolled through me.
I pressed one hand against the porch and forced myself to breathe.
Margaret heard the change in my breathing.
“Emily?”
“I’m okay.”
“No, you’re in labor.”
Another siren grew louder.
Then two police cruisers turned onto the street.
Richard saw them through the window.
He rushed toward the front door.
“What did you do?”
I looked up at him.
For the first time that morning, I was not afraid.
“I called someone who actually knows who owns this house.”
Richard stepped onto the porch.
One officer immediately raised a hand.
“Sir, stay where you are.”
Richard froze.
Kelsey appeared behind him.
“This is ridiculous.”
The second officer walked toward me.
“Ma’am, are you Emily Mercer?”
“Yes.”
“Did this man assault you?”
Richard answered before I could.
“She’s emotional.”
The officer looked at him.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Richard’s jaw tightened.
I pointed toward my hair, my scraped knee, and the wet fabric around my legs.
“My father dragged me through the kitchen by my hair and shoved me out of my house.”
The officer’s expression hardened.
“And you’re pregnant?”
“Eight months.”
Kelsey crossed her arms.
“She’s exaggerating.”
The officer glanced at her.
“Did you witness what happened?”
Kelsey hesitated.
Richard looked at her sharply.
That hesitation told me everything.
An ambulance pulled up behind the police cruisers.
Margaret spoke through my phone.
“Emily, listen carefully.”
“I’m listening.”
“The county recorder just flagged a deed transfer filed twenty-six minutes ago.”
I stared at Richard.
Margaret continued.
“It carries your signature.”
“I never signed anything.”
“I know.”
Richard’s face had gone pale.
May you like
Margaret’s voice became cold.
“And that means Daniel’s fraud clause may already be in effect.”
