Chapter 5 - The Collapse of the House of Cards
The victory at the gala, however, was short-lived.
Two days later, the real world came crashing back through the penthouse doors—literally.
I was in the kitchen prepping lunch for Lily when my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number with a local prefix. Frowning, I answered it.
"Is this Jessica Hale—Fierro?" a sharp, sterile voice asked.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"This is Detective Vance from the Maricopa County—correction, Cook County Financial Crimes Division. We are calling regarding Tyler Brooks. He has been detained for questioning regarding corporate embezzlement, asset stripping, and fraudulent business filings tied to your former residence."
My breath caught. "Embezzlement? Tyler?"
"Ma'am, preliminary audits show that over the past four years, Mr. Brooks systematically diverted corporate funds from his employer's accounts into secret offshore accounts—funds that were partially used to finance his lifestyle and hush-money settlements. Furthermore, our investigators found fraudulent signatures on several mortgage documents bearing your name."
The phone felt heavy in my hand. "My name?"
"Yes, ma'am. He used your identity to secure lines of credit without your knowledge while you were pregnant. We need you down at the precinct to sign formal deposition papers."
Before I could process the avalanche of information, the front door of the penthouse opened. Giovanni walked in, taking off his overcoat, but the moment he saw my pale face and trembling hands, his expression hardened instantly. He crossed the room in two strides, taking the phone from my ear.
"This is Giovanni Fierro," he said into the receiver, his voice dropping into a dangerously cold register. "Send all documentation regarding the case directly to my legal team. We will be at the precinct in twenty minutes."
He hung up the phone and pulled me into his arms.
"What happened?" he asked softly, resting his chin on my head.
"Tyler," I whispered, tears finally breaking free. "He... he used my identity to commit fraud while I was pregnant. That's why debt collectors were calling our apartment back then. I thought... I thought it was just bad luck. It was him."
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Giovanni’s arms tightened around me, his body radiating a sudden, suppressed fury that terrified me more than any corporate rival ever could.
"He's going away for a very long time, Jessica," Giovanni promised, his voice thick with absolute resolve. "I'm going to make sure he never sees the outside of a cell."
