Chapter 13 - Following the Money
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The next morning, I met my new attorney, Natalie Brooks, in a high-rise office downtown. Recommended by Ben’s legal network, Natalie was a sharp, no-nonsense matrimonial litigator who specialized in complex high-net-worth divorces.
I laid the burner phone, the bank ledgers, and the photo of the ransacked nursery on her glass desk.
Natalie spent forty minutes reading through the text threads and reviewing the financial documents, her expression turning grimmer by the minute.
"Lydia," Natalie said, looking up with a razor-sharp smile. "Your husband didn't just break family law. He committed multi-jurisdictional wire fraud and grand larceny."
"What is Northgate Advisory?" I asked.
"According to these ledgers, Northgate is a shell company registered in Delaware," Natalie explained, tapping the screen. "The sole listed director is Marcus Shaw—Bianca Shaw’s cousin. Over the last two years, Adrian has systematically siphoned over $900,000 from your joint marital accounts and Lumina Grid’s corporate reserves into Northgate."
"Why?"
"To buy a luxury penthouse downtown under Marcus's name, lease sports cars, and fund a private investment portfolio—all hidden from you and Lumina’s board of directors," Natalie said. "He was draining your marital estate so that when he served you with divorce papers, he could claim he was virtually broke."
"Will this help my case?" I asked softly.
"Help your case?" Natalie laughed sharply. "Lydia, this completely destroys him. I am filing an emergency petition with the court today to freeze Northgate's accounts, report this to the Securities and Exchange Commission, and inform Lumina Grid’s Board of Directors."
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"What about my mother's things?" I asked, my voice cracking. "The baby's nursery?"
"We file an emergency motion for the immediate return of all stolen property," Natalie declared. "If Adrian doesn't produce those items by 5:00 PM tomorrow, Judge Warren will issue a warrant for his arrest."
