Chapter 2 - The Eviction of the Leaches
Within three minutes, the Morrison dining room looked less like a wealthy family estate and more like a federal foreclosure site. Six corporate attorneys from Sovereign Group’s elite white-collar division filed into the room, their briefcases snapping open in perfect, terrifying unison.
Arthur, our Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs, walked in last. He was a silver-haired titan who had dismantled entire multinational monopolies before breakfast. He didn't look at Brendan, nor did he acknowledge Diane’s frantic, trembling attempts to catch his eye. He simply handed me a warm, black cashmere coat, which Marcus carefully draped over my wet shoulders.
"Report, Arthur," I said, sitting back down at the head of the table—the seat Brendan had claimed was reserved only for the patriarch of the family.
"Protocol 7 has been fully implemented as of 11:14 PM, Chairwoman," Arthur stated, adjusting his spectacles. "Firstly, the lease for this estate—which is owned by Sovereign Holdings and provided to Brendan Morrison as a corporate perk under his temporary executive contract—is hereby terminated for egregious damage to corporate property, specifically the custom-woven Persian rug beneath your feet, which was purchased with corporate funds under the guise of an office renovation."
"You can't evict us!" Jessica shrieked, her voice cracking with panic as she clutched Brendan’s arm. "Brendan owns this house! He told me he bought it!"
Brendan didn't answer her. He was staring at the legal document Arthur had just dropped onto the table. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely read the text.
"He lied to you, Jessica," I said mildly, taking a warm cup of herbal tea that a security guard had brought me from the mobile clinic. "Just like he lied about his credentials, his net worth, and his fidelity. This house belongs to me. Every single brick, every piece of silver, even the wine Diane is currently choking on. Marcus, how long do they have to vacate?"
"Under standard emergency corporate termination clauses for security threats against the executive board? Ten minutes, Chairwoman," Marcus said, pulling a heavy silver stopwatch from his vest. "After ten minutes, any individual remaining on the premises will be arrested for criminal trespass and industrial espionage."
"Brendan! Do something!" Diane screamed, her regal facade completely shattering as she grabbed her son by the shoulders. "Call your father! Call the board! There are rules! She can't just throw us into the street in the middle of the night!"
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"My father can't help us, Mother," Brendan whispered, his voice completely dead. He looked up at me, his eyes wide with a terrifying realization. "The Chairman of the Board... the mysterious 'C.H.' who signs every budget approval from Zurich... it was never a Swiss billionaire, was it? It was Cassidy Hayes."
"Good boy, Brendan," I said, taking a slow sip of my tea. "You finally passed an intelligence test. Too bad it’s the last day of your employment."
