“Where is the money now,” Avery asked.
“That is the interesting part,” Elliot said while opening another document.
“Two weeks ago he moved thirty eight thousand dollars into a brokerage account under Savannah Reed’s name.”
Avery stayed silent for a moment, letting the information settle.
“So she is investing with money that belongs to me,” she said finally.
“And there is more,” Elliot continued, his tone sharpening. “Savannah is thirty one, works as a sales coordinator in Austin, earns sixty thousand annually, rents a high end apartment for three thousand a month, and drives a luxury car she cannot realistically afford.”
“According to her social media she just returned from a resort in Miami that costs at least ten thousand dollars,” Avery added calmly.
“He took her there,” Elliot confirmed. “Your joint credit card shows a charge from that same resort two months ago.”
He had told Avery he was attending a conference in Phoenix during that time.
“There is one more detail,” Elliot said carefully. “Adrian filed corporate documents three months ago that list Savannah as owning fifty percent of the company.”
“He made her his partner using my money,” Avery said quietly.
“And if you divorce him, he can argue the company is a marital asset,” Elliot explained. “Since she owns half, the valuation becomes complicated and could drag out for years.”
Avery stared at the screen for a long time, absorbing the depth of the plan.
“He has been planning this longer than I thought,” she said.
“At least a year,” Elliot replied. “This was never impulsive.”
Avery stood and walked toward the window, looking out over the city with a calm expression that revealed nothing.
“I need one more thing from you,” she said finally. “And it needs to be done quietly.”
PART 3
Three weeks later the annual gala of Carter and Whitestone Legal Group took place in the grand ballroom of a luxury hotel in San Diego. The event gathered partners, clients, investors, and influential figures, creating the kind of environment where reputations were built and deals quietly formed.
Adrian wore a new tuxedo that Avery had purchased for him without comment, and he carried himself with confidence as if nothing had changed. Avery wore a red evening dress that was elegant and understated, yet impossible to ignore.