Colby immediately switched strategies.

“If you don’t open this gate, I’ll file for divorce. I’ll seek custody of Finn. I’ll tell the judge you’re always traveling and leaving him behind.”

Jenna had anticipated exactly that thre:at.

She activated a display screen installed beside the gate.

One receipt appeared after another.

There were hotel expenses, jewelry purchases, restaurant charges, and recurring payments for a furnished apartment in downtown Raleigh.

Then the screen displayed a photograph of Colby embracing a woman named Sienna Brooks.

The color drained from Colby’s face.

“Where did you get those?”

“From the company credit card you kept using because you assumed nobody ever reviewed the statements.”

The affair had continued for nearly twelve months.

Colby had assured Sienna that he would soon divorce Jenna, receive a substantial financial settlement, and move into an impressive new residence.

Patrice had known about everything.

Recovered messages revealed that she encouraged Colby to start arguments, secretly record Jenna whenever she was exhausted, and describe her as emotionally unstable.

Their objective was never only to end the marriage.

They intended to use Finn.

One message from Patrice read, “Once you have the child most of the time, she’ll be forced to support all of us.”

Another message from Colby referred to custody as “the only leverage that matters.”

Jenna had uncovered those messages several months earlier.

That was the moment she stopped discussing company matters, purchased the home across the street through a separate legal entity, and quietly gathered every piece of evidence she might eventually need.

She had wanted to believe she had misunderstood.

What she witnessed in the kitchen proved she had not.

Everything He Believed Was His

Later that same morning, a tow truck arrived to collect Colby’s luxury SUV.

He hurried outside.

“You can’t take my car.”

The driver glanced at the documents.

“It’s registered under Bellamy Clinical Distribution. Your authorization to drive it has been revoked.”

An hour afterward, his company phone service was disconnected.

Sienna blocked his number the moment she discovered he did not own the mansion, the SUV, or the expensive watch he had proudly shown off in countless photos.

For four days, Colby and Patrice stayed inside the old house, complaining about the heat, arguing over money, and placing all the blame on Jenna.

Neither of them asked whether Mabel had recovered.

Neither asked if Finn was sleeping well.

On the fifth morning, Jenna walked across the street accompanied by her attorney, Taryn McCall, a digital forensics specialist, and a notary public.

Taryn handed Colby a thick file.

“This includes the divorce petition, the temporary parenting request, and a claim regarding unauthorized corporate expenditures.”

Colby noticed a flash drive inside the folder.

“What’s this?”

Taryn opened a video file on her tablet.

The footage showed Mabel stumbling beside the stove while Finn cried against her back.

Patrice’s voice could be heard demanding another side dish.

Then Colby’s voice came from the living room.

“Leave her alone. People like her are used to working with their hands.”

He reached toward the tablet.

“That’s completely out of context.”

Taryn pulled it away.

“The context is an ill elderly woman struggling inside a hot kitchen while two healthy adults ignored an upset child.”

The next recording featured Patrice speaking.

“Once Jenna loses custody, Finn’s support payments will take care of us. Colby can marry Sienna after everything is finalized.”

Patrice immediately denied ever saying those words.

The digital specialist remained composed.

“The recordings, access records, messages, and financial transactions have all been securely preserved and independently verified.”