Chapter 4 - The Shell Company
We stayed at a small boutique hotel,
hidden away from the main roads,
under Jessica's recommendation.
Noah was asleep,
clutching his toy dinosaur,
exhausted from the long day.
I sat by the window,
the laptop open on my knees,
diving deeper into the digital shadows.
If Ethan wanted to play dirty,
I had to find his weakness,
the one thing he couldn't hide.
I searched the public records,
for River Stone Property Holdings,
looking for the registration details.
The company was formed six months ago,
listed under a registered agent,
with no names attached.
But there was an address,
a small office suite,
on the industrial side of town.
I knew that area,
it was full of warehouses,
and abandoned lots.
Why would a luxury condo company,
be registered in a wasteland?
I looked closer at the transaction history,
finding a secondary bank account,
linked to the main LLC.
A deposit had been made,
just last week,
from a foreign entity.
Titan Investments,
based in the Cayman Islands.
One hundred thousand dollars.
This wasn't just about a condo,
or a stupid affair,
this was money laundering.
Ethan was moving cash,
large amounts of cash,
from unknown sources.
My stomach churned,
as the realization hit me.
My husband wasn't just a cheat,
he was involved in something illegal,
something incredibly dangerous.
I took screenshots,
saving every document,
building my own digital arsenal.
Then,
a text message appeared.
An unknown number.
I opened it,
my heart stopping.
It was a photo.
A photo of my current hotel.
Taken from the parking lot.
Below it,
a single line of text.
"We see you, Emma."
"Drop the bank investigation,"
"or things get complicated."
I ran to the window,
pulling the curtains shut,
my breathing shallow and fast.
They followed me.
Ethan,
or someone he hired,
knew exactly where I was.
I rushed to the door,
checking the lock,
sliding the security latch into place.
I looked at Noah,
peacefully sleeping,
completely oblivious to the danger.
I couldn't stay here.
It wasn't safe anymore.
I grabbed my keys,
woke Noah gently,
and carried him out the back exit.
The night was freezing,
the shadows seemed to move,
as we reached the car.
I drove without a destination,
May you like
just trying to lose the shadow,
just trying to survive the night.
