Chapter 2 - The Trap
The next morning, Bennett called me.
I let it go to voicemail.
He called again. I answered, forcing my voice to sound exactly the way he expected: small, fragile, and defeated.
“Maren,” he said, his tone dripping with condescension. “I’m glad you’ve calmed down.”
“What do you want, Bennett?”
“I’m calling to be reasonable. My financial advisors say Rosehaven is becoming a liability. I’m putting it on the market next week.”
He was going to sell the house to cover the forged loan before we ever found out it existed.
“You can’t sell my mother’s house,” I whimpered, playing the part perfectly.
“I have power of attorney over the marital estate,” he lied smoothly. “It’s already in motion. But if you behave at the gala on Saturday, I’ll make sure you and Eleanor have a nice condo to move into.”
“You want me at the gala?”
“Of course. We need to project a united front for the donors. Don’t embarrass me, Maren.”
“I won’t,” I whispered.
I hung up the phone.
I didn’t cry.
I spent the next three days working with Gabriel and the federal authorities.
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We tracked every cent. Every wire transfer. Every fake invoice.
By Saturday night, the trap was set.
