Chapter 7 - THE NOTARIZED DEED
The interrogation room was cold, smelling of stale coffee and industrial cleaner. Nathan sat at the metal table, staring at his handcuffed wrists.
Four hours had passed since the raid.
The door opened, and Agent Harris walked in, dropping a massive stack of files onto the table.
"Your lawyer is here, Mr. Reed," Harris said, leaning against the wall.
The door opened again, and Margaret Holloway walked in.
Nathan blinked. Margaret was Olivia's divorce attorney. Why was she here?
"I asked for my corporate counsel," Nathan croaked, his throat dry.
"Your corporate counsel resigned this morning," Margaret said smoothly, taking the seat opposite him. She placed a sleek leather briefcase on the table. "I am here on behalf of Carter Holdings. And, by extension, my client, Olivia Carter."
Agent Harris nodded and stepped outside, closing the door, leaving them alone.
"What do you want, Margaret?" Nathan asked, his voice defeated. "You've won. She won. I have nothing."
"You have a choice," Margaret corrected him. She unlatched her briefcase and pulled out a single, thick document.
She slid it across the metal table.
Nathan looked down. It was a notarized deed of total asset forfeiture.
"This document signs over your remaining 10% equity in Reed Commercial, your vehicles, your retirement accounts, and your claim to the house on Clover Mill Drive," Margaret explained clinically. "It transfers full, undisputed ownership to a trust established for your son, Leo. Olivia will serve as the sole trustee."
Nathan let out a bitter laugh. "Why would I sign that? The government is going to seize it all anyway to pay back the embezzlement."
"No, they won't," Margaret said.
She pulled out a second piece of paper. It was a bank receipt.
"Two hours ago, Carter Holdings quietly deposited four million dollars into the corporate accounts of Reed Commercial," Margaret said. "The exact amount you embezzled."
Nathan stared at her in shock. "Olivia paid it back? Why?"
"Because she doesn't want the father of her child to go to federal prison," Margaret said, her eyes cold. "If the money is returned before the IRS formally files charges, the embezzlement becomes an internal corporate accounting error. The feds will drop the wire fraud charges. You'll face some hefty civil fines, but you won't do time."
Nathan’s heart soared with a sudden, desperate hope. He wasn't going to prison. Olivia had saved him.
"But," Margaret continued, shattering that hope instantly, "the return of those funds is contingent upon you signing this deed. You walk away with nothing, Nathan. No money. No company. No house. You start over at zero."
Nathan looked at the deed. The arrogance that had fueled him for six years flared up one last time.
"And what if I don't sign?" he challenged. "What if I take my chances in court? I can prove Madison manipulated me."
Margaret smiled. A cold, predatory expression.
She reached into her briefcase one last time and pulled out a gold pen.
She set it gently on top of the deed.
"If you don't sign," Margaret said softly, "Olivia will give Agent Harris the audio recording from your car."
Nathan frowned. "What recording?"
"The one where you explicitly instructed Madison Cole to destroy the tax documents linking you to the offshore accounts," Margaret said. "Obstruction of justice. Conspiracy. That carries a mandatory minimum of ten years."
Nathan’s blood ran cold. The gold pen gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights.
He was trapped. Completely, utterly trapped by a woman he had assumed was too passive to notice him slipping away.
May you like
She hadn't just noticed. She had built a cage, locked the door, and handed the keys to the FBI.
Nathan reached out, his hand shaking violently, and picked up the gold pen.
