Chapter 2 - The Signature in the Desk
Two days later, Derek left for a meeting in Fort Lauderdale.
Suzanne remained at the apartment.
She claimed she was helping organize a dinner for investors, but she spent most of the morning opening cabinets, criticizing the furniture, and directing the housekeeper as if she owned the place.
Skylar worked quietly in the study.
Derek had asked her to locate an old insurance agreement. While searching through the desk, she found a locked drawer.
The key was taped beneath it.
Inside were several folders bearing the name of Derek’s company, Hale Coastal Development.
Skylar had seen similar documents before. Most appeared ordinary—loan agreements, project budgets, and insurance policies.
Then she found a copy of a financing application submitted to Atlantic Coast Bank.
The apartment was listed as collateral.
Skylar read the address twice.
Her trust was named as the property owner, but the authorization page contained a signature that looked like hers.
It was not hers.
The imitation was good enough to fool someone who had never seen her sign in person. The letters were carefully shaped, but the final stroke leaned in the wrong direction.
Skylar photographed every page.
Her hands remained surprisingly steady.
At the bottom of the folder, she discovered a notice stating that the loan was under review. The bank had requested additional confirmation from the property owner.
The confirmation letter had been mailed to the apartment.
Skylar had never seen it.
Behind her, the study door opened.
Suzanne entered without knocking.
“What are you doing?”
Skylar closed the folder.
“Looking for Derek’s insurance agreement.”
Suzanne’s eyes dropped to the open drawer.
“That contains private company information.”
“This is my home.”
“It’s Derek’s office.”
“Why is my apartment listed as collateral for his company?”
For the first time, Suzanne appeared uncertain.
Then her expression hardened.
“You clearly misunderstood what you read.”
“I understand forged signatures.”
“Lower your voice.”
“There’s no one here except us.”
Suzanne closed the door.
“My brother has spent years building that company. Sometimes married people sign paperwork for each other.”
“Derek does not have permission to sign my name.”
“You share everything.”
“Not the trust.”
Suzanne stepped closer.
“You should be grateful he included you in his plans.”
“He didn’t include me. He used my property without telling me.”
“Because he knew you would panic.”
Skylar studied her sister-in-law.
“You knew about this.”
Suzanne looked away for less than a second.
It was enough.
Skylar placed the folder back in the drawer and locked it.
That afternoon, she called Atlantic Coast Bank from a café several blocks away. She asked to speak with someone in the fraud department.
The representative confirmed that the loan had not yet been finalized.
Skylar explained that she had not signed the authorization.
The representative’s voice became formal.
“We will place an immediate hold on the application. You may also wish to consult an attorney.”
Skylar thanked her and ended the call.
Her next call was to Mara Chen, an attorney she had known in college.
They had not spoken in nearly a year.
Mara answered on the third ring.
“Skylar?”
“I need legal advice.”
“Are you safe?”
The question caught Skylar off guard.
She looked through the café window toward the street.
“I think so.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
Skylar closed her eyes.
“My husband forged my signature to use my apartment as collateral.”
Mara was silent for a moment.
“Do you have proof?”
“Yes.”
“Then do not confront him alone. Send copies to a secure account, collect your identification documents, and prepare somewhere safe to stay.”
“Derek has never hit me.”
“Financial control is still control.”
“He’ll say it was a misunderstanding.”
“He can say whatever he likes. Documents do not become misunderstandings because the person responsible has a convincing voice.”
That evening, Derek returned carrying flowers.
Skylar watched him arrange them in a glass vase.
“How was your meeting?” she asked.
“Excellent. We’re close to securing financing.”
He kissed her forehead.
May you like
For years, that gesture had made her feel loved.
Now she wondered whether he was thanking her for something he had stolen.
