Chapter 4 - Sun, Sand, and Blind ArroganceThousands of miles away in Miami, the tropical sun beat down brilliantly against the white-tiled patio of a luxury South Beach penthouse resort.
Garret leaned back against a plush lounge chair, sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, sipping an iced espresso. His mother, Eleanor, lounged nearby, flipping through a magazine with a complacent smirk.
"I'm telling you, Eleanor, a little tough love is all Audrey needs," Garret chuckled, checking his phone. "She’s probably sitting in her car right now, realizing she has nowhere to go without my permission. It’ll teach her to respect the household hierarchy."
"Exactly, darling," Eleanor agreed without looking up. " Women today are far too independent. Changing the code reminds her who provides the roof over her head—even if she occasionally contributes to the grocery bill."
Garret’s phone buzzed. Expecting a frantic, apologetic text or a missed call from Audrey begging for the new code, he picked it up with a smug grin.
Instead, it was an automated email notification from his local smart-home security app: WARNING: Master Access Revoked. Property Management Rights Transferred.
Garret frowned, sitting up straight. "That's strange..."
"What is it?" Eleanor asked, lowering her magazine.
May you like
Before Garret could answer, his phone rang. It wasn't Audrey. It was the head of local Boulder security for Redwood Crest.
"Mr. Conway?" a tense voice came through the line. "We have a slight emergency at the estate. A moving crew just arrived with a federal title conveyance order, accompanied by new locksmiths. They are clearing out the premises as we speak."
