Chapter 10 - GAVIN DISAPPEARED WITH A SUITCASE
The police report did not make Valerie feel safer.
Neither did the travel alert.
Neither did changing Isabelle’s preschool pickup list.
For the first time since the divorce began, fear overtook anger.
Gavin had always been arrogant.
But desperation changed people.
His company was failing.
The property transfer was under challenge.
The trust strategy was collapsing.
Chloe was cooperating.
Florence had turned against him.
And the $186,000 transfer was traceable.
A desperate Gavin had fewer places left to move.
Then he disappeared.
His office said he had not arrived for work.
His apartment was empty.
His phone went straight to voicemail.
Valerie stood inside the greenhouse while rain tapped against the glass.
Isabelle was upstairs with Monica.
Prescott—no, not Prescott; that was another life, Valerie thought bitterly. She had no army. No security empire.
Just Evelyn.
Monica.
Florence.
Chloe.
And herself.
Maybe that was enough.
At 6:20 p.m., someone knocked.
Gavin.
He stood on the porch holding one suitcase.
Valerie did not open the door.
“What do you want?”
“To talk to my wife.”
“You filed for divorce.”
“Then talk to your husband for the last time.”
She opened the door only after confirming Evelyn was connected on speakerphone and Monica had taken Isabelle to the upstairs guest room.
Gavin stepped inside.
He looked exhausted.
“You turned everyone against me.”
“No.”
Valerie locked the door behind him.
“You finally ran out of people willing to lie for you.”
He laughed.
“You think Chloe is helping you because she grew a conscience?”
“I don’t care why.”
“She wants money.”
“So do you.”
“This is different.”
“It usually is when you’re the one stealing.”
His expression hardened.
“I built this family.”
“You complained about supporting it while I raised Isabelle and built a company.”
“I paid the mortgage.”
“My mother saved the mortgage.”
That silenced him.
Valerie continued.
“You stole from Verde. You forged my mother’s signature. You used your mother’s power of attorney to transfer the house. You forged Chloe’s guarantee. You filed a false passport application for Isabelle.”
Gavin stared.
Then smiled.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then why Vancouver?”
That ended the smile.
For the first time, Valerie saw panic.
Small.
Fast.
Real.
“I was exploring options.”
“For my daughter?”
“Our daughter.”
“Interesting time to remember.”
Gavin put both hands on the table.
“Listen to me. I can still make this easy.”
“For whom?”
“All of us.”
He proposed a settlement.
Valerie kept the plant business.
He kept the house transaction intact.
They shared custody.
Nobody pursued financial claims.
And Valerie resigned as Isabelle’s trustee in favor of a professional fiduciary chosen by Gavin.
“No.”
“You didn’t even think.”
“I have been thinking for four years.”
His voice sharpened.
“You’re going to destroy Isabelle’s relationship with her father.”
“No. You’re doing that.”
“You think a judge will like you keeping her from me?”
“I think a judge will like the forged passport.”
Silence.
Then Gavin stepped back.
He finally understood she had everything.
Almost.
Before leaving, he looked toward the greenhouse.
“You know why your mother really created that property agreement?”
Valerie said nothing.
“She didn’t trust you either.”
“That’s what you’re going with?”
“She knew your business would fail.”
Valerie almost smiled.
“My business is profitable.”
“She didn’t know that then.”
He moved toward the door.
“She thought you’d need the house because you couldn’t support yourself.”
The words struck.
Because they sounded possible.
Miriam worried.
Miriam prepared.
Had her protection been another kind of doubt?
Gavin saw uncertainty enter Valerie’s face and smiled.
Then he left.
That night, Valerie opened the three-year-old file again.
Behind the property agreement was an envelope she had never noticed because Evelyn had scanned only the legal pages.
On it, Miriam had written:
FOR VALERIE, IF GAVIN EVER MAKES YOU THINK I DID THIS BECAUSE I DIDN’T BELIEVE IN YOU.
May you like
Valerie sat down slowly.
Her mother had known exactly what he would say.
