By sunrise, Andrew was already smiling.
He walked into Collins Global’s headquarters expecting another ordinary day. Brenda followed beside him in a cream designer suit, already imagining which office would become hers once Mariana’s divorce papers were signed.
Employees greeted Andrew with forced smiles.
Something felt… different.
The lobby was unusually quiet.
No one congratulated him.
No one rushed to open the executive elevator.
Even his executive assistant avoided eye contact.
Andrew frowned.
“What’s going on?”
Before anyone answered, every monitor inside the lobby suddenly switched to the same message.
ALL CORPORATE ACCOUNTS ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED.
His smile vanished.
“What kind of joke is this?”
The chief financial officer hurried across the marble floor, sweat soaking through his shirt.
“Our operating accounts are frozen.”
Andrew laughed.
“Impossible.”
“We have relationships with every major bank.”
The CFO swallowed.
“They all received the same legal notice… at exactly six this morning.”
Margaret arrived moments later.
“I can’t access my trust fund.”
Brenda looked down at her phone.
“My cards aren’t working.”
Andrew grabbed the nearest phone.
“Call the bank!”
The answer came less than a minute later.
“Mr. Collins… we’re following instructions from the primary beneficial owner.”
Andrew’s expression hardened.
“What owner?”
The banker hesitated.
“…Mrs. Mariana Escalante.”
The entire lobby fell silent.
Andrew slowly lowered the phone.