He didn’t hand it to Kyle.
He read from it himself.
“The senior secured facility is held through Bellmont Capital Partners.”
Kyle snapped, “I know who holds the facility.”
The director continued.
“Bellmont’s controlling interest traces to a private family holding company.”
Kyle looked at me again.
The director said my father’s name.
Thalia’s hand slipped from Kyle’s arm.
“You told me you owned everything,” she whispered.
Kyle glared at her.
“I own my company.”
“Then why are they calling you?”
“Because lenders call borrowers.
That’s how business works.”
His voice had become louder, more desperate.
I opened the divorce folder.
“You also listed the estate as marital property.”
Kyle looked at me.
“It is.”
“No.”
“Bella, don’t start playing games.”
“Read the deed.”
His mouth opened, then closed.
Kyle had chosen this estate from several properties Dad offered us after our wedding.
Kyle supervised renovations.
Kyle selected the furniture.
Kyle hosted parties here and told guests he’d finally purchased the home his younger self could only dream about.
But he had never purchased it.
The house belonged to a trust created before our marriage.
We had the right to live there.
That right existed because of me.
Kyle rushed toward the office.
One of the investors gave me a long look.
“You let everyone think it was his?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I thought about the younger Kyle falling asleep beside me with spreadsheets on his chest.
The man who once kissed my forehead after his first profitable quarter and said, “We did it.”
“Because I thought he needed to believe he could build something on his own.”
The investor looked toward the office door.
“Looks like he started believing too much.”
Thalia heard him.
Her face hardened.
She came toward me.
“You think this makes you better than us?”
“No.”
“You’ve been lying to him for years.”
“I protected him for years.
There’s a difference.”
“He loves me.”
The words were meant to wound.
Hours earlier, they might have.
Now they sounded like something she needed to convince herself of.
“Then stay with him,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed.
