Chapter 7 - Dawn at the Estate
The morning sun broke over the Malibu horizon, painting the sky in breathtaking strokes of gold, pink, and pale lavender. I stood on the open wooden deck, sipping a fresh cup of black coffee, watching the early morning surfers carve through the foam down below.
The silence of the house was absolute, broken only by the cry of gulls and the gentle hiss of the tide.
My phone, resting silently on the outdoor table, buzzed once with a silent notification. I picked it up and opened a secure message from Arthur Vance, my attorney.
“The primary lien notices have been formally served to Drexler Holdings downtown. Apex Capital has initiated foreclosure proceedings on their commercial office plaza. Furthermore, the district attorney’s economic crimes division has accepted our documentation regarding the forged corporate seal. You are entirely in the clear, Josephine. If you want to drop the hammer on the rest of their personal assets, the Zurich vault is waiting for your final green light.”
I smiled faintly, taking another slow sip of coffee.
Then my front security intercom chimed softly.
I walked back inside, crossed the pale living room, and checked the high-definition video monitor mounted by the entryway.
Parked at the bottom of the private driveway was a battered, dusty sedan. Standing outside the security gate, looking disheveled, hollow-eyed, and utterly defeated, were Marcus and Chloe. Eleanor was nowhere to be seen—likely sequestered in her bedroom, nursing a shattered ego and a ruined bank account.
I pressed the intercom button.
“You’re wasting your time,” I said, my voice echoing clearly through the speaker at the gate. “The security codes have been changed, and Arthur has already filed a restraining order against both of you.”
Chloe stepped directly in front of the camera lens, her face twisted in a mask of pure, unadulterated venom.
“Open this gate, you selfish bitch!” Chloe screamed, slamming her fist against the intercom speaker box. “You destroyed our family! Dad’s commercial buildings are gone, our accounts are locked, and Marcus is ready to jump off a bridge! You can’t just ruin our lives over a stupid house!”
“It was never just a house, Chloe,” I replied evenly. “It was the boundary line you all crossed once too often.”
Before Chloe could shriek another curse, a sleek black town car pulled up directly behind their sedan, blocking them in. The rear door opened, and two men in sharp gray suits stepped out, carrying heavy leather briefcases.
Even from the monitor, I recognized them instantly: senior liquidators from Apex Capital.
May you like
Chloe and Marcus spun around in absolute terror as the liquidators approached them, handing over thick packets of foreclosure documents and pointing toward their car. Realizing the net had finally tightened completely, Marcus grabbed his frantic sister by the arm, shoved her back into their sedan, and peeled rubber down the coastal highway, fleeing before the repo men could take their vehicle too.
---
