Chapter 3 - THE FAMILY’S VERSION
At Sunday lunch, Jackson’s cousin asked Elena when Genesis would be moving into the apartment.
Elena almost dropped her fork.
“She isn’t.”
The cousin looked confused.
“Genesis said Victor promised it to her.”
“My father barely spoke to Genesis.”
Across the table, Jackson stared at Elena in warning.
On the drive home, he accused her of humiliating his mother.
“She told people my father gave her my apartment.”
“She misunderstood.”
“No. She lied.”
Jackson struck the steering wheel with his palm.
“You always assume the worst about her.”
Elena looked through the window.
She had heard those words many times.
Whenever Genesis insulted her, Elena was too sensitive.
Whenever Genesis interfered, she was only helping.
Whenever Jackson shouted, Elena had pushed him too far.
That night, Elena found Jackson sitting at her desk.
One of her father’s estate letters was open beside him.
“What are you doing?”
Jackson quickly folded it.
“Looking for a tax form.”
“That letter was addressed to me.”
“We’re married. Stop acting like I’m a stranger.”
Elena held out her hand.
Jackson gave her the letter but kept his eyes on her.
“You need to stop making everything difficult.”
The next morning, Elena changed the password on her computer.
That afternoon, Jackson asked why he could no longer access it.
She had never told him the password had changed.
Elena began paying closer attention.
Jackson knew when she visited the apartment.
He knew when she called the estate attorney.
He knew when bank documents arrived before she opened them.
Then she noticed a new location-sharing app on her phone.
Jackson claimed it had installed during an update.
Elena removed it.
Two days later, Genesis arrived carrying champagne and a gift box.
Inside was an expensive gold bracelet.
“You are family,” Genesis said warmly. “We should stop fighting.”
For one hopeful second, Elena believed her.
Then Genesis placed a folder on the kitchen counter.
“It is only a simple tax form. Sign it, and we can all move forward.”
Elena did not open it in front of her.
She waited until Genesis left.
The first page appeared harmless.
The second was a quitclaim deed transferring the apartment to Genesis.
Behind it was an authorization to withdraw $300,000 from Elena’s inheritance account.
Elena’s hands began to shake.
May you like
Then she noticed that someone had already practiced copying her signature in the margin.
👉 That night, Elena found another envelope Jackson had hidden behind the liquor cabinet—and it contained something even worse.
