Chapter 14 - The Uninvited Guests
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Michael froze, his hand hovering over the clipboard. He looked at Vanessa, who lowered her phone slightly, her brow furrowing in confusion.
“Are you expecting a package?” Michael asked her sharply.
“No,” Vanessa said.
I stood up slowly, smoothing the creases of my charcoal trousers, and walked past them toward the grand entryway. I pulled open the heavy oak door.
Standing on my front porch was a small army.
Eleanor Price stood at the front, looking lethal in a navy suit. Beside her was David Vance, the imposing chief executive of Hawthorne Capital. Behind them stood two senior bank fraud investigators in trench coats, a uniformed county detective, and a burly asset recovery officer holding a thick stack of legal warrants. Peeking through the trees at the edge of the driveway, I could see a massive moving truck idling quietly.
I swung the door wide open. “Please, come in.”
The procession filed into the foyer, their heavy footsteps echoing ominously on the hardwood floor.
Michael stepped out of the living room, his manufactured confidence instantly faltering at the sight of the uniforms and suits. “Excuse me? What the hell is this? Who are you people?”
David Vance ignored Michael entirely. He stepped forward, bypassing my son, and stopped directly in front of me. He offered me his hand with a deep, respectful bow of his head.
“Good morning, Mrs. Vale,” David said, his voice booming with corporate authority. “As the controlling owner of Hawthorne Capital, your direct, verbal authorization is required on the record before we begin the asset seizure.”
Vanessa’s phone slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly onto the hardwood floor.
Michael stared at me, all the color instantly draining from his face, leaving him looking like a ghost.
“Controlling... owner?” Michael stammered, the words stumbling clumsily out of his mouth.
May you like
I looked my son dead in the eyes.
“Seventy-eight percent,” I said, my voice ringing like a struck bell.
