Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
"Let my son go right now, or my men will kill all three of you," Victoria commanded coldly.
The masked men raised their assault rifles, pointing laser sights directly at Robert and me.
Robert slowly released his grip on Lewis and stepped backward, holding his hands up in surrender.
Lewis collapsed to the floor, coughing violently and gasping for air.
He scrambled to his feet and hid behind his mother like a frightened child.
"They recorded me, Mom," Lewis panicked, pointing a trembling finger at Chloe.
"She has an audio file of everything I said."
Victoria sneered at Chloe, shaking her head in mock disappointment.
"You always were a sneaky little brat," she insulted.
"Hand over the phone, and sign the deed to the condo."
Chloe clutched her phone to her chest, her bruised face pale with terror.
I raised the handgun I had taken from Lewis, pointing it directly at Victoria's smug face.
"Get out of my house," I ordered, my hands shaking under the weight of the weapon.
Victoria simply laughed, completely unfazed by my threat.
"You won't shoot me, Sarah," she taunted.
"You are a soft, suburban housewife, and my men will empty their clips into your daughter before my body hits the floor."
I knew she was right, but I refused to lower the gun.
"Sign the papers, Chloe," Robert said softly, his voice defeated.
"No!" I yelled.
"It's just real estate, Sarah," Robert pleaded, looking at me with desperate eyes.
"Nothing is worth her life."
Chloe sobbed as she picked up the pen from the kitchen table.
With a trembling hand, she signed her name on the property transfer deed, handing over her $1.8 million sanctuary to the monsters who beat her.
Victoria snatched the papers from the table, checking the signature with a greedy smile.
"Smart girl," Victoria praised mockingly.
"Now smash the phone."
Chloe placed her phone on the tile floor and crushed it beneath her heel, shattering the screen into pieces.
Victoria tucked the signed deed into her designer purse and patted her son's shoulder.
"Let's go, Lewis," she said triumphantly.
"We have a flight to catch."
As the masked men backed out of the apartment, Victoria paused in the doorway.
"Oh, and Robert?" she smiled wickedly.
"I am still going to leak your financial files to the press tomorrow morning."
"I never like leaving loose ends."
She slammed the door shut, leaving us standing in the shattered remains of my home.
Chloe collapsed into my arms, weeping uncontrollably over the loss of her home and her future.
Robert stood silently by the broken balcony window, staring out into the dark Miami night.
"They took everything," Chloe cried.
Robert slowly turned around, a terrifying, predatory smile spreading across his face.
May you like
"No, sweetheart," Robert whispered.
"They just took the bait."
