Chapter 3 - THE DEEDS OF SILENCE
"This is a joke," Daniel stammered, stepping forward and laughing nervously. "A sick joke. Lena, did you hire an actor? Is this some kind of pathetic cry for attention because mother hurt your feelings?"
Evelyn’s face went from red to chalk-white. She snatched the top document from Marcus’s hand, her eyes darting across the legal letterhead. Her hands began to tremble so violently that the papers rustled like dry leaves.
"Margaret Sloan..." Evelyn whispered, her voice cracking. "That’s... that’s impossible. This house was bought by Arthur Montgomery. My husband!"
Marcus stepped back, pulling a certified portfolio from his briefcase. "Arthur Montgomery signed a lifetime quitclaim deed ten years prior to his passing, transferring 100% of the estate title directly to his granddaughter, Elena Vance, under an irrevocable family trust. Furthermore, financial forensic audits show that over the past twenty-four months, Daniel Montgomery illegally funneled four hundred thousand dollars of trust maintenance funds into personal corporate accounts."
Daniel’s face drained of color. The tablet slipped from his hand, shattering against the marble floor.
"You... you audited my accounts?" Daniel stared at me, his eyes wide with sudden, unadulterated panic. "Lena, you couldn't have. You don't know anything about finance!"
"My grandmother built a multi-million-dollar real estate portfolio, Daniel," I said, stepping past him and adjusting my bandage. "She taught me how to read balance sheets before she taught me how to drive. I simply let you believe you were the smart one in the marriage because it was entertaining to watch you strut around."
"Get them out of my house!" Evelyn shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at the deputies. "Do you know who we are? We belong to high society! We hold galas! We—"
"Ma'am," the older sheriff deputy spoke up, resting his hand casually on his belt. "The legal title presented by counsel is verified and sealed by the county magistrate. You have forty-eight hours to vacate the primary residence and remove all personal belongings. Any attempt to damage property or remove trust-owned fixtures will result in immediate arrest."
Marcus handed me a duplicate folder, nodded respectfully, and turned down the steps. The deputies followed, leaving the heavy oak doors wide open to the morning breeze.
For a long moment, nobody moved. The silence in the grand foyer was deafening.
"Lena," Daniel whispered, his voice cracking as he reached out a trembling hand toward my arm. "Lena, honey... let’s talk about this. We can fix this. It’s just a misunderstanding. Mother was stressed, work has been hard... we’re a team, remember?"
May you like
I looked down at his outstretched hand, then slowly raised my gaze to meet his terrified eyes.
"You laughed when she poured boiling soup on my hand, Daniel," I said softly. "Now let's see how much you laugh when you have nowhere to sleep tonight."
