Chapter 7 - The Counter-Attack (Expanded Version)
Two days later, I was discharged from the hospital and moved directly into Maya’s temporary apartment downtown. Rachel Monroe visited me on her day off, bringing homemade soup and a copy of the official nursing report she had submitted to the medical board and police.
"He's been denied bail," Rachel told me as we sat by the window overlooking the city skyline. "His firm suspended him indefinitely, and the state bar association has opened an emergency review of his license."
"He's going to try to fight it," I said, looking at my hands. "Daniel is brilliant at twisting the law. He'll find a loophole."
"Let him try," a crisp voice announced from the doorway.
Elena Vance—the former paralegal Maya had mentioned—stepped into the living room carrying a large cardboard box filled with binders and flash drives. She looked tired, but her expression was fierce and determined.
"Daniel was smart, but he was arrogant," Elena said, setting the box down on the coffee table. "He kept records of everything because he liked to review his 'dominion' over people. These drives contain every fraudulent wire transfer, every threat he recorded on office voicemails when he thought no one was listening, and the exact ledger where he hid your marital assets."
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She looked straight at me. "I testified before the grand jury this morning, Claire. Between my evidence, Rachel’s eyewitness testimony, and your medical records, the District Attorney isn't just looking at a misdemeanor assault charge. They’re looking at felony domestic terrorism, financial fraud, and abuse of a vulnerable adult."
For the first time in eleven years, the weight in my chest lifted completely. I wasn't just surviving anymore. I was taking my life back.