Chapter 5 - THE GENEVA GAMBIT
The data on Nicole’s hard drive was a labyrinth of encrypted files, but forensic accounting is just puzzle-solving with higher stakes. For three sleepless nights, while Maya slept safely in the next room, I decrypted Marcus Bell’s hidden ledgers. The scale of the fraud was staggering. Haven Square was never meant to be a legitimate development. It was a massive washing machine for illicit funds tied to a European syndicate. Andrew and Marcus had skimmed twenty million dollars, routing it through Geneva before parking it in the Caymans.
The money Andrew was using to sue me for custody was effectively stolen from some of the most dangerous people in international real estate. I printed out the routing numbers, the IP logs, and the wire transfer receipts. I had the smoking gun. But taking this to the family court judge would take months of subpoenas and hearings—time Maya and I didn't have. I needed to cut off the head of the snake immediately. I didn't call my lawyer. I called the federal prosecutor who had originally investigated Haven Square. But before I could hand over the evidence, my house alarm shrieked. The front door had been forced open. I grabbed Maya from her crib, my heart hammering against my ribs, and locked us in the master bedroom. Heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs. I clutched my phone, dialing 911, as the bedroom door handle began to rattle.
