Chapter 244
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Chapter 244:
She walked back to her office feeling a quiet sense of accomplishment. Her secretary, a young woman named Sarah, was waiting at the door with a pale face.
“Ms. Golden,” Sarah said, holding out a thick envelope. “This came for you. Certified mail p>
Carmen took it. The return address was stamped in red.
Internal Revenue Service.
Her stomach dropped to her shoes.
She walked into her office and tore the envelope open. Words like Audit, Discrepancy, and Third-Party Liability leapt off the page.
“Audit? For the last five years?” she whispered.
She read further. Irregularities in business filings related to your former partner, Quentin M.
“That bastard,” she hissed, slamming the letter onto her desk. “He used my name. He must have used our shared wedding planning business as a front for some kind of fraud p>
“Bad news p>
Carmen startled. Justin Collins was standing in her doorway — still there, leaning against the frame, looking entirely too comfortable.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘭оа𝗱𝖺𝗯𝘭е 𝘗𝖣𝘍𝘴 𝗼𝗻
“You’re still here?” she asked, her voice unsteady.
“I was waiting for my thank you,” he said. He walked in, saw the letter on the desk, and his expression shifted instantly from playful to sharp. “IRS p>
“My ex,” Carmen said, sinking into her chair. She felt ill. “He committed tax fraud through our company. Because I was a named partner, I’m liable. They’re going to freeze my assets. I’ll lose everything p>
Justin picked up the letter and scanned it in seconds.
“This is serious,” he said. “But fixable p>
“I need a lawyer,” she said, pressing her fingers to her temples. “A tax specialist. Do you know what they cost p>
“You don’t need a lawyer,” Justin said. “You have a Senator. It’s better p>
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number from memory.
“Director Lin,” Justin said. His voice changed — calm, authoritative, the voice that moved legislation. “It’s Collins. I have a case of fraudulent business attribution. Yes. Under Title 26, Section 7206. We need to file for Innocent Spouse Relief under provision 6015(b p>
Carmen watched him work. He spoke in statutes and codes, cutting through bureaucratic red tape with the ease of someone who had written the rules himself. He wasn’t asking for a favor. He was giving instructions.
He hung up two minutes later.
“They will pause the audit,” he said, sliding the phone back into his pocket. “We need to file the relief form. It proves you had no knowledge of his criminal activity and will sever your financial liability from his completely p>
“You know tax law?” she asked.
“I sat on the committee that drafted the modern Innocent Spouse Relief Act three years ago,” he said, a slight smirk crossing his face.
Carmen felt a wave of gratitude so strong it nearly knocked the wind out of her. And beneath it — something else. Heat.
He had just saved her life. Again.
“How can I repay you?” she asked. The words came out sincere, stripped of her usual armor.
Justin stepped closer to the desk, placed both hands on the edge, and leaned in until he was level with her eyes.
“Dinner,” he said. “Tonight. No talk of exes or taxes p>