Chapter 8
On Thursday morning, Sienna revoked the power of attorney formally.
Rebecca served the revocation on Gavin, every known bank, Southline, and relevant title company.
Then Sienna did something more dangerous.
She authorized an external forensic review of Southline and every transaction Gavin had handled under her authority.
She notified the refinancing bank that she disputed the Monday closing.
She also referred the suspected misuse of fiduciary authority to outside investigators.
That step could not be cleanly reversed.
Southline had ties to Ferrante Commercial Holdings.
Ferrante companies had shared vendors.
Shared lenders.
Shared real estate.
Nico’s advisers warned that outside review could expose unrelated transactions to scrutiny.
Sienna looked at her father.
“Do you want me to stop?”
Nico answered immediately.
“No.”
His adviser said:
“You should think about—”
Nico cut him off.
“She asked me.”
He looked at Sienna.
“No.”
That mattered.
For once, the Ferrante instinct for privacy did not override her decision.
The bank froze Monday’s closing.
Cole Meridian’s lender learned the replacement financing was uncertain.
Within hours, Gavin’s Milwaukee project received a formal default notice.
He called Sienna from his attorney’s office.
Rebecca listened.
“You killed the refinance.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“I stopped you from signing for me.”
“You knew the project needed money.”
“I knew nothing.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
Silence.
“After the money moved?”
Gavin exhaled.
“You don’t understand what default means.”
“Then explain.”
“Hundreds of jobs. Contractor claims. Personal guarantees. Mom loses everything.”
“And your solution was my warehouse.”
“It wasn’t going anywhere.”
“You pledged it.”
“As collateral.”
“Without asking.”
“I had authority.”
Sienna’s voice became quiet.
“Legal authority is not the same thing as permission.”
Gavin stopped.
That sentence reached the center of the marriage.
He had spent years confusing what he could sign with what she had agreed to.
Sienna continued.
“Did you know I didn’t remember that power was still active?”
He did not answer.
“Gavin.”
“Yes.”
Her face changed.
The answer hurt more than anger would have.
She ended the call.
The review began.
May you like
Monday’s closing died.
So did the version of the marriage in which Sienna could still tell herself this was one desperate financial decision.
