Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Ivy
Twenty minutes later, Nash arrives and quickly takes control of the situation.
Within minutes, he clears most of the reporters and photographers from the driveway and front lawn.
They’re still lingering on the public sidewalk, of course, and technically not breaking any laws, but at least they’re no longer crowding the house.
Once we’re settled in the living room, Wyatt turns to him. “So, what did you find?”
Nash leans forward, his elbows on his knees. “Well, when I ran her name through the police database, I got nothing. No priors, no parking tickets. Hell, there’s no record of a Cara Livingstone at all. It’s like she doesn’t exist.”
I frown. “What do you mean, nothing?”
“I mean nothing,” Nash says. “I even checked social media, and the website for the club where she claims to work. Zero hits. So, I dug a little deeper. Started cross-referencing reports of similar scams, cases where someone pretends to be married or in a relationship and then tries to extort money from the alleged partner.” He pauses, and I can almost feel the tension in the room. “And I think I found something.”
He grabs his phone from his pocket, his fingers flying over the screen. “Okay,” he says, turning the screen to show Wyatt. “Take a look at this.”
Wyatt leans in. On the screen is an article dated about a year ago. The headline reads:
Man cleared after fake marriage claims lead to extortion scheme in Miami.
“The guy was a wealthy businessman, not a sports personality, and the woman went by the name of Jessica Hartley, but look at the picture.”
I gasp as I lean in, examining the grainy image. “That’s her!” Wyatt says, his voice tight. “That’s Cara. Her hair is different, but it’s her.”
“Exactly,” Nash replies. “Different name, different city, but the same M.O. She told the guy they got married after an alcohol-induced night in Vegas. Produced documents and photos and threatened to go public unless he paid up. The guy had a girlfriend and a daughter. He almost paid her off, but at the last minute got the police involved. Sound familiar?”
My eyes widen. “Oh my God…that’s exactly what she’s doing to Wyatt.”
Nash nods. “Right? And get this, she got away. No charges filed.”
Wyatt frowns. “How? That’s fraud!”
“They couldn’t prove her identity. The guy didn’t even know her real name. The cops traced the emails and calls to prepaid burners. The fake documents couldn’t be tied to her directly. She used an alias and disappeared before they could track her down. They still don’t know who she is.”
“So, she could have done this multiple times?” Mom asks.
“That’s the theory. I’ve got three possible cases so far.
Each time, she changes her name, and all in different states.
She targets high-profile men, claims fake marriages or relationships, and then pressurizes them to pay up to avoid a scandal.
It’s smart, but completely illegal and hard to pin down with fake IDs and seemingly legit documents. ”
Wyatt drags a hand down his face, his jaw tight. “So, what now?”
Nash sighs. “It’s not going to be easy. I’ve got a tech friend trying to catch her out.
He’s trying to link the images and emails she sent to the guy in Miami to a device or cloud she forgot to clear.
” He pauses, his eyebrows raising slightly.
“You said she showed up at your publicist’s office, right? ”
Wyatt nods. “Yeah.”
He nods. “Can you ask her if she left a number?”
“Sure.”
Wyatt pulls out his phone, finds the contact, and brings it to his ear. “Cleo, hey.”
He pauses. “Yeah, things have been better. Listen, I’m back in Hope Creek with Ivy and my brother.”
Another pause. “Training’s not a priority right now. I texted Coach this morning, told him it’s a family emergency. I’ll deal with the consequences later.”
As he continues filling Cleo in on what Nash uncovered, my mind starts to wander.
It hadn’t even occurred to me that him being here meant skipping training.
I was just relieved to have him with me.
But now, hearing him say it, the worry creeps in.
He’s told me before how strict his coach is, that no one gets a free pass.
I just hope being here for me doesn’t cost him something important.
“When she came to your office, did she leave any contact details?” He listens for a second, then says, “All right, hold on.” Lowering the phone, he turns to Nash.
“She just gave an email address.”
Nash’s eyes narrow as if he’s thinking. “Ask Cleo if she’d be willing to reach out and request a meeting. Somewhere public, just to get this woman to respond.”
Wyatt nods and brings the phone back to his ear.
“Cleo, can you do me a favor? Would you be okay emailing her and asking to meet up again? Just say you’ve thought about it and want to talk more.
Maybe ask for a number.” He pauses, listening.
“Yeah, I get it, but Nash thinks it’s the best way to track her down.
” He pauses again. “Okay, thanks. Let me know as soon as she replies.”
He ends the call and turns to Nash. “She’s going to do it. She’s emailing her now.”
“Good,” Nash says. “If we can get this woman to agree to a meeting, I can have someone from the Phoenix PD watching. They might even trail her, and hopefully we can get her real name and address. In the meantime, I’ll check in with my tech guy and see if he’s managed to find anything.”
“We’re getting close, right?” Wyatt asks Nash, his fingers lacing through mine.
“We are,” Nash says with a nod. “But we still need her to slip up. We need something that ties her directly to the fake documents or the emails. What we really need is her real name.”
“What if I met with her?” Wyatt offers.
Nash shakes his head firmly, and I exhale in quiet relief.
“No. You’re too close to this, emotionally and publicly.
She’d pick up on that in a heartbeat. Given the fallout, it makes more sense for your publicist to follow up instead.
Let’s hope Cara, or whatever her real name is, takes the bait.
” He gets to his feet. “Call me the second you hear anything back. If she bites, I’ll loop in Phoenix PD, and we’ll be ready. ”
Wyatt stands and pulls Nash into a hug. “Thanks, man. I can’t tell you how much this means.”
“You don’t need to,” Nash says, clapping him on the back. “You’re my brother. And Ivy, she’s like family too.” He turns to me with a quick smile before addressing my parents. “If the press starts causing more trouble outside, call the station. We’ll send someone right over.”
“Thank you, Nash,” Mom says warmly.
“You heading back to Phoenix, Wyatt?”
“Not until tomorrow. I told Coach I needed today.”
He nods. “Call me if you need me.”
We walk Nash out through the back garden, watching as he disappears down the side of the house.
Beside me, Wyatt exhales, his shoulders sinking as if some of the weight from the last twenty-four hours is finally easing.
He turns and pulls me into his arms.
“I think this nightmare might actually be coming to an end,” he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“I really hope you’re right,” I say. “You’re not going to get in trouble for skipping training, are you? I didn’t even think about it until Cleo brought it up.”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. I needed to be here with you. That’s what’s important to me. Everything else can wait.”
We stand together on the back porch, wrapped in each other, and for the first time in days, the chaos doesn’t feel all-consuming. There’s a glimmer of hope, and it finally feels like we’re on our way back to the life we were building.
God, I hope that’s true.