Chapter 9 - Facing the Strangers InsideLater that morning, Gertrude and Prudence returned, marching up the front steps with a pair of local police officers in tow, expecting to evict me from my own property under some fabricated domestic disturbance claim.
I opened the front door before they could knock.
"Officer, thank god," Prudence wailed, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "That man is a violent intruder! He forced his way into our home and threatened us!"
The senior officer looked down at the paperwork in his hand, then up at Gertrude, who was clutching her pearls with a theatrical gasp. "Are you Gertrude Carter?" the officer asked.
"Yes, and—"
"Step aside, ma'am," the officer interrupted, flashing a federal court order. "We are executing an emergency asset freeze and civil seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court. All properties, vehicles, and financial instruments managed under Silver Leaf Holdings—your shell company—are hereby impounded."
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Prudence’s jaw dropped. "You can’t do that! That’s our money! That’s our boutique!"
"That’s stolen capital," I said, stepping out onto the porch. I looked directly into my mother’s horrified eyes. "Every handbag, every designer dress, every square inch of inventory in Prudence’s store belongs to the estate of Ethan Carter. You have forty-eight hours to pack your personal belongings out of the guest house. If you step foot in the main mansion again, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing."
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