I returned home from deployment three weeks ahead of schedule to surprise my husband and our four-year-old daughter

And at the bottom was a signature.

My signature.

Or, more accurately, an exceptionally convincing forgery of it.

Someone had quietly begun preparing my house for sale.

A deposit had already been placed into an escrow account.

I raised a hand to cover my mouth.

“They were selling my house?”

Detective Shaw nodded.

“It appears someone attempted to represent you through a power of attorney. We’re examining whether any transactions were completed.”

I could only stare at the photograph.

The handwriting was almost identical to my own.

Almost.

But Derek had overlooked one very small detail.

Whenever I signed my full legal name, I formed my middle initial with a tiny loop.

That loop was missing from the signature on the document.

He had imitated my name.

He had attempted to take control of my identity.

And he had come dangerously close to getting away with it.
Chapter 4: THE WOMAN BEHIND THE BETRAYAL