Chapter 5

Ethan’s efficiency was terrifyingly fast.

Within an hour, an encrypted document was sitting in my inbox.

Tyler had already transferred all three properties under his name to Hazel Carter.

His bank savings of twelve million dollars had been transferred in batches to a shell company called "Aura Consulting."

The registered owner of Aura Consulting? Luke Carter.

Luke Carter, Hazel Carter.

You didn't need to be a genius to figure out the connection.

There was also a three-million-dollar transfer marked as a "business investment" sent to another shell company that Tyler had registered himself.

Every single penny of his assets had been moved out.

Cleaned out completely.

But what truly chilled me to the bone was what came next. Tyler had taken out three massive loans under my name, totaling five million dollars.

My name was forged on the signature line.

In other words, if I filed for divorce right now, I would not only leave with absolutely nothing, but I would also be saddled with five million dollars in debt.

I leaned back in my car seat and closed my eyes.

This man was far more ruthless than I had ever imagined.

When did he start planning this?

A year ago? Two years ago? Or had he been setting this trap since I was pregnant?

The moment Stella "went missing," his first reaction wasn't to look for her, but to immediately bring his mistress's kid in to secure his position. He couldn't even wait to confirm if Stella was actually gone.

That was the most heartbreaking part of all.

The next morning, I walked back into the house. Hazel was already sitting at my dining table.

She was wearing my silk robe.

It was a designer piece I had bought just last month. I hadn't even worn it once; the tags were still on it.

"Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry," she said, looking up with a sweet smile as she sipped her coffee. "I didn't bring pajamas last night, and Tyler told me I could just wear yours. You don't mind, do you?"

Right at that moment, Tyler’s phone rang.

He picked it up on speaker. A distorted voice came through.

"I have your daughter. If you want her back, bring one million dollars."

Then, a video was sent to his Snapchat.

It was Stella, crying hysterically. "Daddy, Mommy, save me..."

In reality, the video was an AI deepfake I had paid someone to make, just to test Tyler’s reaction.

Before the video even finished playing, Tyler grabbed my hand tightly.

"Chloe! Stella’s been kidnapped!"

"Then what are you waiting for? Get the money to rescue her!" I yelled, pretending to panic.

Tyler’s expression flickered. "Stella is just a girl. You expect me to throw away a million dollars on a gamble? There's no guarantee they'll even release her alive."

I clenched my fists. "You absolute monster! She is your biological daughter! Are you just going to let them kill her?"

"If you won't save her, I will!"

I reached into my purse, grabbing my credit cards.

"Going to the bank won't do you any good," Tyler said coldly. "I've already emptied your accounts."

I stared at him, feigning utter disbelief.

"I used that money to secure Leo's future and paperwork. So... just give up on her, Chloe."

With that, he typed a message and sent it back to the "kidnapper."

[Do whatever you want with her. I'm not paying a single dime.]

I lost control and slapped him across the face three times, hard.

Tyler took the blows without fighting back.

"If hitting me makes you feel better, go ahead," he said smoothly. "Stella is my daughter too. My heart breaks for her. But we have to be realistic."

I threw my useless bank cards straight at his face.

"Get the hell out of my sight!"