Chapter 11: What Monday Brought
Geoffrey's documentary review request went in Monday morning.
By Wednesday, the property records office had responded.
The original filing for the joint tenancy deed showed a date stamp that did not match the submission log in the registrar's system.
The physical document had been dated three weeks earlier than the actual date of filing.
Geoffrey called David on Wednesday afternoon.
Jasmine was in the hallway when the call came in.
David put it on speaker.
"The discrepancy is significant," Geoffrey said.
"The earlier date matters because it places the transfer before a specific amendment to your financial account terms — an amendment that would have required additional disclosure and a cooling-off period.
By backdating the filing, that requirement was bypassed entirely."
"Meaning she got around a protection that existed specifically for situations like this," David said.
"Correct.
And because that protection was circumvented, the transfer can be challenged on grounds of procedural fraud." A pause.
"David, I want to be direct with you.
This is serious.
We are no longer talking about a civil property dispute.
Depending on how the review proceeds, this could involve a referral to the fraud authority."
David looked at Jasmine.
"How long does the review take?" he asked.
"The initial stage, two to three weeks.
But the deed is already flagged.
Jessica cannot sell, transfer, or further encumber the property while the review is active."
"She's locked out," Jasmine said quietly.
"For now, yes," Geoffrey said.
---
Jessica called David on Thursday.
He answered.
Jasmine listened from the doorway, close enough to hear both sides when David held the phone slightly away from his ear.
"I want to talk about this properly," Jessica said.
"Not through lawyers.
Just us."
"There's nothing to discuss outside of the legal process," David said.
"David.
I made some mistakes.
I know that.
But I love you.
That has always been real."
"I don't doubt that you believe that," David said.
"I want to come home."
"This house is under a legal review.
You understood the terms when Geoffrey's notice arrived."
"I'm your wife."
"Yes," David said.
"And my lawyer is handling the matter of what that has cost me."
A long pause on the line.
"What about Tyler?" Jessica said.
Her voice had changed — softer now, and Jasmine recognized the shift.
It was the same voice Jessica used when she wanted David to feel something quickly.
"Tyler is welcome here whenever he chooses," David said.
"That has always been true.
That has nothing to do with what you did."
"You're separating him from his mother."
"No.
I'm separating my daughter from someone who was engineering her out of her own home."
Another long silence.
When Jessica spoke again, the softness was gone.
"You'll regret this," she said.
"Maybe," David said simply.
"But not as much as I regret not seeing it sooner."
He ended the call.
Set the phone down.
Rubbed both hands over his face.
Then he looked at Jasmine.
"She'll try something else," he said.
"Probably," Jasmine said.
"Geoffrey is ready."
He nodded slowly.
"I owe you an apology," he said.
"I should have protected you better.
From the beginning."
"You protected me when it counted," she said.
"I let her rewrite the will.
I let her put her name on this house.
I let her—"
"Dad." Jasmine crossed the room and stood in front of him.
"You're fixing it.
That's what matters."
He looked at her for a long moment.
Something in his face loosened, just slightly.
The way a fist loosens when a person finally decides to let go of something they've been holding too long.
"Your mother would be furious with me," he said.
"She'd be impressed with you right now," Jasmine said.
He didn't quite smile.
But it was close.
---
Three days later, Marcus Lowe resigned from Hartley and Crane.
The firm issued a short statement confirming that a staff member had departed following an internal review.
Geoffrey forwarded it to David without comment.
Jasmine read it once.
May you like
Set her phone face-down on her desk.
She didn't need to read it again.
