“The trust from your grandmother that he never knew about,” he said slowly.
“It is solely in my name and established long before the marriage,” Avery confirmed. “The loan is structured as a business investment rather than personal income.”
“My equity stake will not finalize for another eighteen months,” she continued, her tone precise and controlled. “On paper I am heavily in business debt with almost no liquid assets available.”
“The capital does not count until consolidation,” Elliot agreed, now beginning to understand the full picture.
“The house is also under a second mortgage from last year’s renovations,” Avery added, maintaining the same calm expression.
Elliot allowed himself a small smile.
“So what is he actually entitled to if he files today,” he asked.
“Roughly two hundred thousand before legal costs,” she answered.
“Does he know about the second mortgage,” Elliot asked.
“I handled all financial matters,” Avery said without emotion. “He never questioned anything as long as his cards kept working.”
Elliot opened his laptop and prepared to work.
“What do you need from me,” he asked.
“I need everything about Savannah Reed,” Avery replied, her gaze steady and cold. “Background, employment, finances, social media, anything at all, and I need the same level of detail about Adrian.”
She paused briefly, then added in a quieter tone.
“I also need to know exactly what he has been doing with our money.”
PART 2
It took Elliot three days to complete his investigation, and what he uncovered left Avery completely stunned despite everything she had already heard. They sat in his office in Denver with the door closed and strict instructions given to his assistant not to interrupt them.
“Adrian opened a business account eight months ago,” Elliot began as he displayed the records. “The company is called Summit Edge Consulting LLC, and he is listed as the sole member.”
“What kind of business does it claim to be,” Avery asked.
“Marketing consulting on paper,” Elliot replied. “In reality he has been transferring money from your joint account into it in small amounts that would not attract attention.”
Avery clenched her jaw slightly as she listened.
“I reviewed every transaction,” she said. “I never saw anything obvious.”
“He was careful,” Elliot explained. “Five hundred here, a thousand there, all mixed with regular expenses, which adds up to forty three thousand dollars in total.”