CHAPTER 8
Time was slipping through Nina’s fingers like sand. She couldn’t wait anymore, couldn’t sit still and hope everything would somehow fix itself. She had to act.
The moment she got back to the hotel, she contacted a lawyer and demanded a full breakdown of their shared assets.
She needed to know exactly what they owned, what had been acquired during the marriage, and what had come to her by inheritance.
Now every detail mattered. Every tiny nuance could decide her fate.
But even after she sent the request, even after the lawyer assured her he’d handle it immediately, the anxiety didn’t ease. It only grew, swallowed her whole, stole the air from her lungs. Nina tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep, unable to stop thinking.
How could she have trusted a man who’d been lying to her face all this time?
If not for pure accident — for that damn car she’d had to take to the shop because of a stray cat that kept jumping on the car at night and setting off the alarm, she would’ve gone on living in sweet ignorance.
And then what? Would Frank have waited until she signed over the shares and all the paperwork — and then simply thrown her out?
Twenty years of marriage. And none of it had meant anything?
Nina sat up on the bed, covered her face with her hands, and forced herself to breathe evenly. This wasn’t the time for emotions. If she wanted to save anything at all, she had to think, not fall apart.
Early in the morning, her phone vibrated on the nightstand. Nina grabbed it so sharply it almost slipped out of her hands.
The lawyer had sent the first part of the report.
Her heart pounded as she opened the file and scrolled through the pages.
The country house was registered to both of them.
The apartment downtown was solely in her name, purchased before the marriage.
The commercial properties belonged to the company, which meant that, for now, Frank didn’t have access to them.
Nina exhaled. But it was far too early to relax.
The nightmare started on the next page.
Three apartments bought during the marriage and rented out for income had been sold six months ago.
Nina reread the line several times. Checked the dates.
When? How?
She had never signed any documents authorizing the sale of property. Her consent as a spouse had been legally required for transactions like that.
A rush of heat hit her, followed by icy cold.
Unless—
He had power of attorney — a broad power of attorney, one that gave him full control. Including the right to handle real estate.
Damn it.
She had signed it years ago without even reading the fine print.
She needed to revoke it immediately. Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner?
But did it even cover the right to sell property?
Nina had no idea. All of that had always been handled by her father, and after his death, by Frank.
She’d never involved herself in those matters.
She ran the charity center, took care of her daughter, and in the evenings did embroidery while watching TV.
Nina clenched her phone so tightly her knuckles went white. She jumped up, wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off the panic. No. She wouldn’t let him drive her into a breakdown. She wouldn’t let him win.
Nina quickly typed a message to Robert Stanfield.
"I need to meet with you."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Is it urgent?"
"More than you can imagine."
Nina dropped the phone onto the bed and closed her eyes.
***
Robert Stanfield’s office greeted Nina with silence. The workday was already over, so there was no risk of prying eyes or listening ears.
“Nina, what’s going on?” he asked when she sank into the chair across from him. “You requested a large volume of documents. Company income reports, dividend payouts…”
Nina opened the folder, doing her best to keep her face composed.
“I just want to be sure everything’s under control.”
“You’ve never been interested in the finances before,” he noted.
“I decided it’s time.”
He nodded, though she still caught the doubt in his eyes.
Nina leaned over the documents and felt the blood drain from her face.
All of her dividends had been routed to Frank under a separate financial authorization he’d set up years ago.
Then he’d transferred the money into their joint account.
She’d never even imagined how enormous the company’s profits really were. But the report didn’t lie.
What shocked her most was how drastically the actual amounts differed from what Frank had been transferring to their account.
She understood that he managed assets, that he could invest, spend, move money around. But not on this scale.
A little more time, and Frank would’ve left her with nothing.
“I want to freeze any transfer or sale of my shares and revoke every power of attorney. Every one of them,” she said firmly, without the slightest hesitation. “And I want my dividends to stop going through Frank immediately.”
Robert lifted his eyebrows. Surprise flickered in his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
He was silent for a few seconds, then leaned in closer.
“Is something happening between you and Frank? Did he hurt you?”
Nina nodded.
“Yes. I’m filing for divorce. But he doesn’t need to know yet. I need time to get my finances in order. Otherwise, he’ll take too much from me.”
Robert studied her carefully for a few seconds, then nodded slowly.
“All right. I’ll do exactly as you said.”
Nina exhaled deeply.
“And one more thing. Can you give me all documentation on payouts for the last three years? Before that, my father was the shareholder, and Frank couldn’t manipulate anything.
But during these three years, I think he siphoned off part of my income through third-party accounts.
I want to use this in court. Along with the fact that this money went to another woman. ”
“Of course. I’ll send you the full reports tomorrow morning,” Robert said calmly, but his gaze sharpened, turned colder.
He clearly wanted to say something else. After a brief pause, he finally did:
“Are you sure you can handle this on your own, Nina?” His voice no longer sounded like a question.
It was a warning. “You have no real authority. No influence. If Frank wants to, he can make sure most of the top firms in this state won’t touch your case.
I’m sorry, but you need to understand the reality.
No one takes you seriously in this circle.
Everyone knows about your nervous breakdowns and the fact that you’ve never been involved in the company’s affairs. ”
Nina tightened her grip on the folder.
“I haven’t been given a choice.”
He nodded, but the concern in his eyes didn’t fade.
“If Frank suspects you’ve started to dig into his affairs, he won’t let it go.”
“I know.”
“He’s a dangerous man, Nina. I’m not talking only about physical harm, though that can’t be ruled out either. He’s clever, calculating. If he feels you slipping out of his control, he’ll do everything he can to stop that.”
Nina stared at the papers in front of her but saw something else entirely.
Frank holding his son’s hand. The way he looked at Vivian. The way he gently brushed her hair back. Had this man ever truly loved her, or had he always been like this?
“I won’t let him leave me with nothing,” she said firmly, even though fear was tightening in her chest.
“Then I’ll handle it,” Robert replied. “I’ll try to find someone willing to go up against Frank’s legal team. But if anything goes wrong, you must tell me immediately.”
“I will,” Nina nodded.
She left the office feeling utterly drained. Her head was buzzing with numbers, documents, and facts that had just crushed her like a steamroller.