Chapter 4 - The Freeze Order
By 1:00 PM, news of Ethan’s arrest sent shockwaves through Manhattan's financial district.
Northstar Capital issued a press release confirming that a rogue portfolio manager had been terminated and arrested following an internal audit, emphasizing that all client funds were being fully recovered due to swift action by external forensic investigators.
While Ethan sat in a holding cell at the federal courthouse downtown, I was sitting in the high-rise office of my lead family law attorney, Victoria Sterling.
"We executed the emergency freeze on all joint accounts at 10:00 AM," Victoria said, sliding a tablet across her desk toward me. "Because the funds in your joint checking and savings accounts were directly linked to the corporate fraud investigation, the federal receiver has locked them down. Ethan can't access a single dime for bail."
"What about the Tribeca penthouse?" I asked.
"The deed was purchased solely in your maiden name five years ago using your inheritance from your grandfather," Victoria smiled. "Ethan’s legal team tried to claim it as marital property this morning, but I submitted the original purchase contract and prenuptial agreement. He has zero claim to the residence. He is officially homeless."
My phone rang. It was an unknown number from the Brooklyn Detention Center.
I answered and put it on speaker.
"Claire?"
It was Ethan’s mother, Evelyn Vance. Her voice wasn't her usual sweet, passive-aggressive tone. It was shrill, panicked, and loud enough to fill the office.
"Claire! What did you do to my son?!" Evelyn shrieked. "He called me from central booking! He said you set him up! He said you had him arrested by federal agents! Are you insane?!"
"Hello, Evelyn," I said neutrally. "I didn't set Ethan up. He stole $14 million from his firm and committed federal wire fraud."
"He is your husband!" Evelyn yelled. "Wives support their husbands! He made one little mistake because he was under pressure at work! You need to go down to the police station right now, drop the charges, and post his bail!"
"I can't drop federal wire fraud charges, Evelyn," I replied smoothly. "And as for bail, his accounts are frozen. Yours might be next, considering $4.2 million of the stolen money was funneled into a Swiss account under your maiden name."
The line went dead silent.
Evelyn swallowed hard. "What... what did you say?"
"I know about the Swiss account, Evelyn," I said, my voice turning ice-cold. "I know Ethan bought your country club house in Hamptons using laundered funds from Northstar. The federal receiver has already issued a clawback order on the property. You have forty-eight hours to vacate."
"You... you monster!" Evelyn gasped, her voice trembling. "We brought you into our family! We gave you a status! You were nothing before Ethan!"
"I was a senior forensic auditor who made six figures before I met your son," I corrected her. "And right now, I am the woman who owns everything your son thought he possessed. Goodbye, Evelyn."
I hung up the phone.
Victoria chuckled, leaning back in her leather chair. "Brutal. I love it. Now, let's talk about the civil counter-suit."
"Civil counter-suit?" I asked.
May you like
"Assault and battery," Victoria said, pointing to my still-faintly bruised lip. "We have twenty witnesses from the rooftop bar, including Warren Pike. We file a civil assault lawsuit against Ethan today. We take whatever remaining personal equity he has left in his liquid assets before the federal government liquidates it."
"Do it," I said without a second of hesitation. "Leave him with nothing."
