Chapter 5 - Eviction NoticeMy father finally collapsed into a velvet chair at the head table, burying his face in his trembling hands. The invincible titan of industry had vanished, leaving behind a pathetic, broken old man.
Arthur walked up the steps of the stage, stopping right in front of Chloe and Mason. He reached down, picked up the white satin box containing the fake crystal tag that read OUR NEW BEGINNING, and tossed it casually into a nearby trash can.
"As of thirty seconds ago," Arthur announced, his voice carrying the finality of a judge’s gavel, "the master eviction notices have been electronically dispatched to every residential property registered under Richard’s name. That includes the suburban estate you all live in, the vacation home in Aspen, and yes, Mr. Vance—the very honeymoon suite you booked for tonight."
Mason turned white as a sheet. "You can't do that! I have rights! I just married into this family!"
"You married into a sinking ship, son," Arthur replied dryly. "And legally speaking, you are now responsible for half of your new father-in-law's corporate debts, which currently sit at roughly forty-two million dollars."
Chloe let out a sound that was half-sob, half-laugh of pure madness. She turned to me, her eyes bloodshot, her designer wedding dress dragging through spilled champagne and shattered glass.
"Elena," she whispered, her voice cracking as she fell to her knees on the marble floor, grabbing the hem of my coat. "Please. Please don't do this. We're sisters. We share the same blood. How can you be so cruel? Take everything else, but let us have this day... let us have our home."
I looked down at my younger sister—the girl who had watched without a shred of remorse as my mother struck my face, the girl who had eagerly held out her hand to steal what I had built with my own sweat and midnight oil.
"When Mom hit me," I said softly, my voice cutting through her sobs, "did you look away, Chloe? Did you tell her to stop?"
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Chloe’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Her silence was all the answer I needed.
"Family takes care of family," I repeated my father’s earlier words, looking around the devastated ballroom. "You taught me that tonight."
