Chapter 3: Her Name on the Deed
Sienna stepped back and held the phone against her chest.
“Find out what?”
Christian lowered his hand.
“You misunderstood me.”
“I heard every word.”
Gwen pointed toward the door.
“Get out of my house before I call the police.”
Sienna touched her split lip.
“Call them.
I’ll play the recording.”
Gwen’s finger slowly dropped.
Christian softened his voice.
“Sienna, give me the phone.
You’re upset, and you’re making this bigger than it is.”
“Then tell me what Desert Crown Holdings is.”
“It’s a small investment.”
“With my card?”
“You gave us permission.”
“I gave your mother money for expenses.
I never gave either of you permission to open a company.”
Christian moved between Sienna and the door.
“We’re married.
Stop talking as if every dollar belongs only to you.”
Sienna tapped the screen twice.
The recording uploaded to her private cloud account, and a copy went to her work email.
“You always said I worked too much,” she said.
“You should have remembered that I know how to protect a file.”
Gwen snatched the overturned cup from the carpet.
“After everything Christian has done for you, you’re treating him like a thief.”
“What has he done for me?”
“He married you!”
The words landed harder than Gwen intended.
Even Christian turned toward her.
Sienna picked up her purse.
“Move away from the door.”
“You’re not leaving until we settle this,” Christian said.
“We settled it when you grabbed me instead of asking why my lip was split.”
Christian’s jaw tightened.
“If you walk out, don’t expect to come back.”
Sienna removed the house key from her ring and placed it on the table.
“Send my clothes to my attorney.”
“You don’t have an attorney.”
“I will by morning.”
Christian moved aside, but his smile returned.
“You think canceling a few cards changes anything?
Desert Crown doesn’t need them now.”
Sienna stopped with her hand on the door.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you signed what we needed months ago.”
“I signed nothing.”
Gwen began collecting pieces of the broken cup without looking up.
“You sign documents all the time.
You’re too important to read them, remember?”
Sienna walked outside and called Naomi Price, an attorney she had met through work.
Naomi answered on the second ring.
“Sienna?
It’s nearly nine.”
“I need help.
My husband and his mother may have used my identity.”
“Are you somewhere safe?”
“I’m in my car.”
“Lock the doors.
Photograph your lip, then send me every bank alert you received.”
Sienna locked the car and opened the declined transaction.
Beneath the company name was an account reference and a property address in Scottsdale.
Naomi went silent when Sienna read it aloud.
“What is it?” Sienna asked.
“I’m searching the county records.
Stay with me.”
Keys clicked over the call.
Sienna watched Christian appear behind the living-room curtains.
Naomi drew a sharp breath.
“Desert Crown owns a condominium purchased fourteen months ago.”
“Who signed for it?”
“The managing member is Christian.”
“And the loan?”
Naomi paused again.
“The guarantor is you.”
“That’s impossible.”
“There’s more, Sienna.
County records show your signature on the deed.”
Sienna gripped the steering wheel.
“I have never seen that property.”
“The deed says you transferred your ownership share to Gwen for ten dollars.”
The front door opened, and Christian came down the path toward Sienna’s car.
Naomi’s voice hardened.
“Drive now.
Because according to this document, Christian and Gwen didn’t just take your money.”
Christian struck the passenger window with his palm.
May you like
Naomi finished the sentence.
“They took property in your name—and tomorrow, the bank can come after you for all of it.”
