Chapter 4

I returned to my damp, tiny basement apartment. The air was thick with the smell of mold.

I opened my battered laptop and transferred the audio recording I had just made.

But that wasn't all. Today, while working in the kitchen, I had discreetly hidden two micro-cameras—one in the kitchen vent and another under the living room sofa.

I had bought them years ago to secure our old apartment, never imagining they would be used for this.

Soon, the live feed of the mansion's living room appeared on my screen.

Rob was pacing around the room anxiously, while Tiffany whined on the couch.

"Rob, why were you so polite to that chef? You should have just had security throw her out!"

Rob tugged at his tie in frustration. "You don't understand! She..."

He paused, clearly struggling to find an excuse.

"She knows some of my old trade secrets from before the restructuring. The company is about to go public. We cannot afford any drama right now."

"Then what do we do? What if she tries to blackmail us?" Tiffany asked, suddenly looking nervous.

Rob sneered, a sinister look gleaming in his eyes.

"Relax. She’s a broke, powerless nobody. What can she possibly do to me?"

"Tomorrow, I'll send someone to warn her and throw some hush money her way. If she still doesn't cooperate..."

He made a sharp slashing motion across his throat.

Watching the monster on the screen, the last lingering warmth in my heart died completely.

This was the man I had loved for five years. For the sake of his fortune, he was willing to have me killed.

Without hesitation, I dialed a number.

"Mr. Sterling, this is Chloe Campbell. You said before that if I could gather solid proof, you would take my case."

A deep, cold voice answered from the other end.

"Do you have it?"

"Yes," I said, staring at Rob's face on my screen, my teeth clenched. "I want him ruined, bankrupt, and humiliated."

Edward Sterling. The most ruthless divorce lawyer in Los Angeles.

They called him "The Courtroom Devil."

Whenever he took a case, the guilty party was guaranteed to be stripped of every single dime.

The next morning, I met Edward in a secluded corner of a quiet cafe.

He wore a perfectly tailored black suit and gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

I handed him the audio and video files.

Edward listened to the recordings, pushed up his glasses, and a smirk played on his lips.

"Hiding marital assets, fabricating corporate debt, forcing a spouse into signing a fraudulent waiver, and now... conspiracy to threaten and intimidate."

He looked at me. "Your ex-husband has quite the appetite for crime, Ms. Campbell."

"Can we make him give everything back?" I asked, looking him dead in the eye.

Edward tapped his long fingers on the table.

"This evidence proves he has money now, but it doesn't directly prove that the money was illegally transferred during your marriage."

"We need something more central to his finances."

"Like what?"

"The transaction records of his offshore accounts, or the ledger of the shell companies he used to siphon the assets."

Edward leaned forward. "These kinds of documents are highly confidential. Usually, only those closest to him would know where they are."

I fell silent.

Rob was naturally paranoid. He wouldn't even trust Tiffany with those documents.

"I'll find a way," I said, taking a deep breath. "Give me a week."

"Alright." Edward stood up and handed me his business card. "Stay safe. If you need security, call me immediately."