Chapter 5: The Offer Behind the Locked Door
Naomi read the court notice twice.
“Christian claims you emptied marital accounts and physically ass@ulted Gwen.”
“He filed against me?”
“He requested emergency control of the assets until a hearing.”
Sienna pushed back from the desk.
“So I report fraud, and he freezes my money?”
“For the moment.
Not forever.”
“My mortgage is due.
My father’s care payment goes out Friday.”
Naomi reached for the phone.
“We’ll ask the court to release essential funds.”
Sienna’s own phone rang first.
Her father’s name appeared.
“Sienna?” His voice shook.
“Christian came to the house.”
“What did he say?”
“He said you were having some kind of breakdown.
He asked me to sign a statement saying you’ve been confused lately.”
Sienna stood so quickly that the chair struck the wall.
“Dad, tell me you didn’t sign.”
“No.
I told him my daughter manages international projects and remembers every birthday in this family.
Then I asked him to leave.”
Sienna covered her mouth.
Her shoulders folded, and Naomi came around the desk.
“I can’t let them drag him into this,” Sienna whispered.
Her father heard her.
“You listen to me.
I am not something they can use to keep you obedient.”
“I brought them into your home.”
“No.
You brought me a son-in-law.
He chose what kind of man to become.”
Tears slid down Sienna’s cheeks.
Naomi placed a hand between her shoulders and stayed there.
Her father continued, “Don’t protect me by surrendering to them.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.
Now let your attorney do her job.”
After the call, Naomi gave Sienna a glass of water.
“You nearly went back to save him from trouble,” Naomi said.
“Yes.”
“That is exactly what Christian expected.”
A message arrived from Gwen: Come to the house alone.
We can settle this.
Naomi read it.
“You are not going alone.”
An hour later, Sienna entered the house with Naomi beside her.
Christian sat at the glass table, and Gwen had placed a folder in front of Sienna’s empty chair.
Christian nodded toward it.
“Sign, and this ends.”
Sienna remained standing.
“What am I signing now?”
“You’ll confirm that you authorized the company.
In return, Mother won’t pursue the ass@ult complaint.”
Gwen lifted her chin.
“And Christian may still forgive you.”
Naomi opened the folder.
“This transfers Sienna’s retirement account and her share of the house to Desert Crown.”
“It protects the family business,” Christian said.
“It protects you from the bank,” Sienna replied.
Christian’s smile vanished.
“If the company falls, your name falls with it.
Your employer will learn you guaranteed fraudulent loans.”
“I was in Toronto when the deed was signed.”
“You think one plane ticket saves you?”
Gwen leaned forward.
“Sign it, or your father will spend his last years watching his daughter lose everything.”
Sienna’s hand curled at her side.
Naomi closed the folder.
“Threatening an elderly man in front of an attorney was unwise.”
Gwen gave a short laugh.
“Prove I threatened anyone.”
A voice came from the hallway.
“She won’t have to.”
Tessa stepped into the room with her phone raised.
Gwen went pale.
“What are you doing here?”
“Listening to you use Dad’s memory, Christian’s lies, and Sienna’s money to feed your vanity.”
Christian stood.
“Put that phone down.”
“No.”
“Tessa, I paid for your car.”
“No,” Tessa said.
“Sienna did.
You just let me thank you.”
She placed a thick envelope in Sienna’s hands.
“I found this in Gwen’s bedroom.
It has statements, receipts, and a second set of company books.”
Christian rushed forward, but Naomi moved between them.
May you like
Tessa looked directly at Sienna.
“There’s a payment here to someone at your company—and it was made the week before your cash-flow problem began.”
