Chapter 5
I sat in David's truck outside Monique Ellis's apartment building, wondering whether I was about to destroy another marriage.
The building was modest.
Three stories.
Brick walls.
A small parking lot.
Nothing about it looked like the home of someone who had access to seventy-five thousand dollars.
David checked his phone.
"Rebecca says we should avoid making accusations."
I nodded.
"I know."
"Just tell her what you found and let her decide what to do."
I looked toward the entrance.
"What if she already knows?"
David sighed.
"Then at least you'll have your answer."
We had arranged the meeting through Rebecca after confirming Monique's identity from public business records.
Monique had agreed to speak with us in the building's common room.
She arrived five minutes later.
She was a beautiful woman in her early thirties, wearing a simple green blouse and dark jeans.
Her expression was guarded.
"Marcus Bennett?"
I stood.
"Yes."
"I'm Monique."
We shook hands.
David introduced himself.
Then we sat down.
Monique looked between us.
"My husband said this was about a business dispute."
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Your husband knows we're meeting?"
She frowned.
"Jordan told me someone might contact me about the studio."
David and I exchanged glances.
I leaned forward.
"Monique, I need to ask you something difficult."
She nodded cautiously.
"How long have you been married to Jordan?"
"Three years."
My heart sank.
Three years.
That meant Jordan had married Monique before Nia resumed contact with him.
I swallowed.
"Does Jordan still communicate with his former girlfriend, Nia?"
Monique's expression changed.
"Nia?"
I nodded.
She stared at me.
"Why?"
"Because Nia is my wife."
The color drained from her face.
"What?"
I took a breath.
"My wife has been secretly working with Jordan on a fitness studio."
Monique looked confused.
"That doesn't make sense."
I handed her a copy of the business registration.
Her name appeared clearly.
She stared at it.
"Where did you get this?"
"Public business records."
She looked up.
"I never agreed to open a fitness studio."
The room went silent.
David leaned forward.
"Monique, are you saying you didn't authorize this?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Her voice began trembling.
"Jordan told me he was developing a small personal training project. He said it hadn't been registered yet."
I felt my chest tighten.
"He registered it using your name."
Monique covered her mouth.
"Why?"
I looked at David.
Then back at her.
"That's what we're trying to understand."
She stared at the papers.
Then whispered, "There's something you should know."
My heart began pounding.
"What?"
"Jordan has been telling me we need to move."
I frowned.
"Move where?"
"To Charlotte. He says he has a business opportunity there."
David leaned forward.
"When?"
"Next month."
I felt a chill.
Jordan had been planning to leave Atlanta.
But with whose money?
Monique continued.
"He said we might need to close some accounts first."
I swallowed.
"Monique, have you noticed any unusual transactions?"
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
My heart pounded.
"What kind?"
"Deposits into an account I didn't recognize. Then withdrawals."
David looked at me.
Monique began crying.
"I thought it was business income."
I took a breath.
"Do you know how much?"
She shook her head.
"But I saw a statement last week."
She looked at us.
"It showed more than fifty thousand dollars."
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
Fifty thousand.
Nia had claimed almost all the loan money was spent.
Jordan had claimed the studio was failing.
But Monique had seen a large balance in an unfamiliar account.
Something wasn't adding up.
"Monique," I said carefully, "I think we need to speak with an attorney."
She nodded through tears.
"I think so too."
After the meeting, David drove me home.
Neither of us spoke for several minutes.
Then he said, "Jordan may have been using both women."
I stared through the windshield.
"Nia made her own choices."
"Of course."
"But if Jordan manipulated her into taking the loan..."
David nodded.
"Then we need evidence."
I leaned back.
For the first time since discovering Jordan in my bedroom, my anger had a new direction.
Not away from Nia.
She remained responsible for betraying me.
But toward the possibility that Jordan had built an elaborate scheme using two marriages and someone else's identity.
That evening, Rebecca arranged for a forensic accountant to review the available financial records.
Her name was Patricia Holmes.
She was direct and meticulous.
After examining the documentation, she pointed toward several transfers.
"These payments appear to have gone from the loan proceeds to an account controlled by the studio."
I nodded.
"Okay."
"Then substantial amounts were moved into another account."
"Whose?"
"We're still identifying the beneficial owner."
She continued.
"Some invoices look questionable. Equipment costs are unusually high, and there are duplicate charges."
My stomach tightened.
"Could Jordan have been taking the money?"
"It's possible. We need complete bank and vendor records to establish what happened."
Rebecca leaned forward.
"Marcus, the best thing you can do is continue preserving evidence and avoid direct confrontation."
I nodded.
Then my phone vibrated.
Nia.
I ignored the call.
A minute later, she sent a message.
Jordan is missing.
I stared at the screen.
Another message arrived.
He emptied the studio account.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Then a third message appeared.
Marcus, I think he planned this all along.
I looked up at Rebecca.
"Something just happened."
She read the messages.
Her expression hardened.
"Don't respond yet."
I stared at the phone.
Then another message arrived.
This one wasn't from Nia.
It was from Jordan.
You should've stayed out of this.
I felt my stomach drop.
Rebecca immediately asked me to preserve the message.
David stood beside me.
"Marcus, are you okay?"
I nodded.
But I wasn't.
Because Jordan knew we were investigating him.
And if he had already emptied the accounts, the money might be disappearing.
Then my phone rang.
Monique.
I answered.
"Hello?"
She was crying so hard I could barely understand her.
"Marcus, Jordan took my car."
I stood.
"What?"
"He packed a bag. He said he had to leave town."
My chest tightened.
"Where is he going?"
"I don't know."
She began sobbing.
"But Marcus..."
"What?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"He took my passport, my identification, and the folder with all our financial documents."
I looked at Rebecca.
She was already reaching for her phone.
Then Monique said something that made my blood run cold.
"And before he left, he told me you were the reason everything was falling apart."
I stood completely still.
Because now Jordan wasn't simply disappearing.
May you like
He was angry.
And he knew exactly where I lived.
