Chapter 8 - The Apartment Was Never His
Derek recovered first.
“This is ridiculous,” he said. “Skylar and I are married. The apartment is marital property.”
Maya removed one document from the box.
“Not under Florida law when the property was inherited separately and never legally transferred.”
Derek’s face tightened.
“I paid the expenses.”
“From accounts funded by Skylar’s inheritance.”
“That’s a lie.”
Maya glanced at the officers’ body cameras.
“Would you like to repeat that?”
Derek stopped speaking.
Skylar stared at him.
He had told her for years that his business income supported them.
He had complained about her spending.
He had limited her card.
He had made her ask permission to replace a broken phone.
All while using her money.
“How much?” Skylar asked.
Derek looked away.
Maya answered carefully.
“We don’t know yet.”
Suzanne stepped toward Derek.
“You said the title was almost transferred.”
“It would have been if she signed.”
“You said it was already yours.”
Derek lowered his voice.
“Not now.”
Suzanne’s humiliation turned sharp.
“You promised me this place.”
Skylar heard the words.
So did both body cameras.
Lieutenant Hayes looked at Suzanne.
“You were expecting to receive the apartment?”
Suzanne’s mouth opened.
Derek grabbed her arm.
“Stop talking.”
The officer immediately warned him to release her.
Suzanne pulled away.
For the first time, she looked afraid of Derek too.
Maya handed Skylar a smaller folder.
“Your mother placed the apartment inside a protective inheritance structure. You are the sole beneficiary.”
Skylar’s fingers trembled.
“What does the envelope do?”
“It activates the emergency provisions.”
Derek’s eyes snapped toward them.
“What emergency provisions?”
Maya looked directly at him.
“The ones triggered by coercion, financial exploitation, or domestic violence.”
The arrogance vanished from his face.
Suzanne stepped backward.
Maya continued.
“As of the moment Skylar’s hospital report was filed, every account connected to her inheritance became restricted.”
Derek reached instinctively for his phone.
It was already ringing.
May you like
His business manager’s name flashed on the screen.
👉 Derek had been using Skylar’s inheritance to keep his company alive—and the emergency freeze was about to expose how deeply he had buried them both.
