The next morning, she got up early, dressed quietly, and left the apartment without waking her husband.
It was chilly outside, the wind whipping the hem of her gray jacket as she walked down their Chicago-style brick block toward Main Street.
She walked quickly, almost on autopilot, her mind focused.
The local branch of Midwest Trust Bank sat on the corner across from a Starbucks and a dry cleaner, and it opened exactly at nine o’clock.
Kiana was third in line behind a young mother with a toddler and an elderly man with a cane.
A young teller with a tired face and dark circles under her eyes listened to Kiana’s request and nodded professionally.
“Yes, we can change your PIN code. Of course, that’s a quick process.”
“And can I add one more service?” Kiana asked calmly.
“I need a notification sent to the security department if anyone attempts to withdraw a large sum from either of my accounts.”
The teller looked at her more carefully, her eyes sharpening with understanding.
“Are you worried about potential fraud?”
“Something like that,” Kiana said.
Twenty minutes later, everything was done exactly as she’d requested.
The PIN on her main account card—the one with the hundred and twenty thousand dollars—was changed to something completely new.
The old PIN, 3806, remained active only on her spare card, the ancient one she’d set up years ago for small, quick purchases but had long since stopped using.
That card now held exactly three dollars.
Kiana had kept that account open simply because it was easier than closing it, but now it might come in very handy indeed.
Kiana left the bank and paused on the stone steps outside, breathing in the cold air that smelled faintly of car exhaust and coffee from the diner down the block.
People rushed past her to work, dragging shopping bags, clutching takeout cups with both hands against the chill.
An ordinary morning in an ordinary midwestern city.
But inside her, everything had changed.
She was ready now. Completely ready.
That evening, Darius started another careful conversation about money, this time avoiding sharp corners and direct questions.
“Hey, have you thought about opening a certificate of deposit?” he asked, poking his fork at his pasta without much interest. “The interest rates are pretty good right now. It’s a smart financial move.”
Kiana shrugged casually.
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