Chapter 11: The Signature That Wasn't Mine

I drove straight to my attorney's office.

I didn't call Luke.

I didn't call Maya.

And I didn't tell Ethan what I was planning.

The document in my bag felt heavier with every mile.

When I placed it on my attorney's desk, he read it twice.

"Did you sign this?"

"No."

"Did you authorize Luke to sign anything on your behalf?"

"Absolutely not."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Then we need to preserve this exactly as you received it."

I nodded.

"There's something else."

I handed him the bank records.

His expression became more serious as he went through them.

"These transfers are from the joint account?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't authorize the payments toward Maya's property?"

"No."

He made several notes.

Then he looked at me.

"Elena, from this point forward, don't confront them yourself. Let me handle the legal communication."

"I understand."

He scanned the agreement again.

"The signature is the biggest issue here."

I frowned.

"Why?"

"Because if someone used your name without your authorization, that's very different from you voluntarily contributing money to a property."

A strange calm settled over me.

For weeks, Luke had made me feel like I was overreacting.

Now, for the first time, someone was telling me that what happened to me actually mattered.

My attorney made a copy of the agreement and carefully placed the original into a protective sleeve.

"We'll have the document examined. We'll also request the transaction records connected to the property."

I nodded.

"What about the house I was supposed to buy with Luke?"

"The closing never happened, so your ownership was never transferred. That's good news."

I almost smiled.

The house they had tried to put in our names was gone.

But my money was still partly trapped in accounts Luke had access to.

"And the joint account?" I asked.

"Separate your finances immediately. If possible, close the account once all legitimate transactions are settled. Change your passwords, cancel his access, and notify every financial institution involved."

"Already started."

He nodded approvingly.

Then his phone rang.

He answered, listened for several seconds, and looked at me.

"That's interesting."

I waited.

He ended the call.

"The title company just confirmed something."

"What?"

"The second property hasn't actually closed yet."

I sat up straight.

"But the documents said sold."

"The seller accepted the offer. The transaction isn't complete."

My heart began pounding.

"So they haven't bought it?"

"Not yet."

I understood immediately.

That scheduled fifteen-thousand-dollar transfer wasn't some old payment.

It was probably intended to finish the purchase.

My attorney looked at me.

"If the money is stopped in time, they may not be able to complete the transaction."

I took a slow breath.

For the first time, I felt like I had a chance to undo some of the damage.

Then my phone buzzed.

A message from Luke.

"You went to a lawyer."

Another message followed.

"I warned you not to make this worse."

Then one final message appeared.

"If you cancel that transfer, Maya will lose everything."

I stared at the screen.

He was still trying to make her consequences my responsibility.

I turned the phone face down.

"Let her lose it," I said.

My attorney looked at me.

I picked up my bag.

"She was never supposed to have it in the first place."