Part 3

The next morning, attorney Diane Cho met Elise at a small café. Diane was thirty-eight and had known Elise since university. She read the contract twice, then asked whether Elise had ever authorized Nathan to borrow against the building.

“Never,” Elise said. “He helped me collect rent after Mom died, but the property was always mine.”

Diane pointed to the signature. “This is a copy from your lease renewal. The date printed under it doesn't match the document it came from. We need the bank's records before we draw conclusions.”

Elise handed her the envelope and signed a request for the lender to pause any transaction involving the property. Diane also advised her to secure the accounts she owned individually and preserve messages. She did not tell Elise to confront Nathan again.

When Elise returned home, Nathan had placed her mug in the dishwasher. He was sitting at the table with two coffees.

“Mara made a mistake,” he said. “The loan was supposed to save a project.”

“You told her we were separated.”

“I didn't know how to tell you the truth.”

“You found time to tell her a lie.”

He pushed a folder toward her. It contained renovation estimates and a letter from a creditor. At the bottom was a company name Elise did not recognize: Northbridge Design Holdings. Nathan had listed her building as collateral. He watched her read the page, and his practiced smile disappeared again.