Chapter 4 - Ninety-One Missed CallsBy eleven o'clock that night, my phone began ringing uncontrollably.
I set the phone on silent, watching the screen light up again and again.
INCOMING CALL: LENA (91 MISSED CALLS) INCOMING TEXT: LENA — Audrey! Where are you?! Answer the phone! The bank just called about the house deed! INCOMING TEXT: DEREK — Audrey, we need to talk right now. Don't do something stupid.
Earlier that evening, my corporate legal team had filed an emergency injunction with the Franklin County Clerk's Office, freezing all pending property transfers and placing a formal fraud lien on the house.
When Derek tried to process his fraudulent emergency sale to a predatory cash buyer to cover his crypto debts, the title company’s system flagged the deed as frozen.
I sat in my quiet hotel suite, sipping tea, watching the text messages flood in with increasing panic.
Lena: Audrey, Mom is crying! Please come home!
Derek: I know you have the original deed. Bring it to the house tomorrow morning or I swear I’ll sue you for unpaid rent!
I didn't reply to a single message.
I called my lead corporate attorney, Arthur Vance.
May you like
“Arthur,” I said calmly. “Execute the buyout strategy. I want to buy the entire primary mortgage from the bank tomorrow morning.”
“Consider it done, Miss Bennett,” Arthur replied. “By nine AM, you won't just be a joint owner. You will be their landlord.”
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