Chapter 3 - The Lockbox Trap
Derek didn't wait for the sun to set before driving straight to the regional branch of City National Bank.
Suzanne sat in the passenger seat of his sedan, her manicured nails tapping frantically against her designer purse.
"She can't just cut us off, Derek," Suzanne hissed, her voice sharp with panic. "My salon payment is due by five o'clock. You promised me her secondary card would clear the balance."
"Shut up, Suzanne, I'm handling it," Derek growled, slamming his hands against the steering wheel as he pulled into the bank parking lot.
He walked straight to the premier accounts desk, his charming insurance-salesman smile fixed tightly on his face as he greeted the branch manager.
"Good afternoon," Derek said smoothly, leaning over the counter. "My wife, Skylar Vance, seems to have had a technical issue with her primary debit line this morning. I need to override the block and issue a secondary card for my sister."
The manager didn't smile; his eyes remained fixed on his monitor, his fingers typing a sequence that made the terminal flash a bright red alert banner.
"Mr. Vance," the manager said, his voice entirely flat and professional. "I cannot issue a card, and I cannot grant you access to this profile."
"I'm her husband," Derek insisted, his voice rising, the polished facade beginning to crack. "We have a joint checking system."
"You had a secondary authorized user status, sir," the manager corrected him, turning the screen slightly.
"But at 10:14 this morning, Mrs. Skylar Vance officially submitted a certified police report detailing domestic assault, paired with an emergency asset severance order."
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"Your name has been permanently removed from every account, every savings pool, and every line of credit linked to her name."
"In fact," the manager added, pointing toward the glass entrance where two security officers were already stepping forward, "the bank has been instructed to notify the local precinct the moment you attempted to access her capital."
