Chapter 13 - THE LAST NIGHT OF THEIR ENGAGEMENT|
I didn't go to Savannah's apartment.
Daniel made that very clear.
Instead, he contacted her attorney, who arranged for the documents to be collected and preserved properly. We also advised Savannah to avoid being alone with Grant until she had independent protection and legal advice.
By evening, the documents were in Daniel's possession.
They were worse than I expected.
One folder contained draft invoices for Cole Strategic Consulting. Another included a proposed payment schedule for Harbor Point. The third contained emails between Grant and Peter Lang.
The messages showed that they had discussed removing the original disclosure condition and moving the closing funds through a holding company.
Savannah's company was listed as a receiving intermediary.
But one email stood out.
Grant had written:
Once the transfer is complete, Savannah can keep the consulting payment. The rest will be moved before Claire has access to the closing records.
Daniel read it twice.
“That's not a casual business arrangement.”
“No,” I said.
He looked at the next page.
“There's also a reference to an insurance policy.”
I frowned.
“What policy?”
He turned the document toward me.
It listed a life insurance policy connected to a loan guarantee. My name appeared as the insured party, and the company was listed as the beneficiary.
I had never authorized a new policy.
“Grant took out insurance on my life?”
“We need to verify whether this document was ever finalized,” Daniel said carefully. “Don't jump to conclusions.”
I felt cold.
The paperwork included an application date from four months earlier.
Four months.
The same period when Grant had started insisting that we review our estate plans.
He had told me it was responsible financial planning.
I remembered signing several routine documents at the kitchen counter.
Had I signed something I hadn't understood?
Daniel immediately arranged for an insurance specialist to review the records.
I called Grant.
He didn't answer.
I called again.
Still nothing.
At 9:30, Savannah sent me a message.
He came over. I gave him the engagement ring back.
I stared at the screen.
A second message followed.
He said I was making a mistake. He said the wedding was still happening.
Then:
He told me he would take the baby away if I testified.
I called her attorney and passed along the messages.
The next morning, I received a photograph.
It showed the ring resting inside a small jewelry box.
Beneath it was a handwritten note.
I don't want a future built on lies.
I didn't feel victorious.
Savannah had helped create the situation. She had accepted the money, the gifts, and the promise of a new life while knowing I existed.
But she was also carrying a child who deserved better than the chaos Grant had created.
At noon, Daniel called.
“The insurance company has confirmed the application was submitted, but the policy was never issued. They're investigating the signature and authorization.”
I closed my eyes.
“Can we prove Grant submitted it?”
“Not yet.”
He paused.
“There's something else. The original Harbor Point closing date has been moved.”
“To when?”
“October eighteenth.”
I stared at my calendar.
The wedding date.
The court hearing.
The acquisition closing.
May you like
Three events, all scheduled for the same day.
And Grant was still determined to make sure everything happened before the truth came out.
