Chapter 3 - The Uninvited Guest
The violent sound of breaking glass sent a massive shockwave through the quiet house.
Grandpa immediately pulled open his desk drawer and withdrew a heavy, loaded revolver.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, moving swiftly toward the hallway despite his age.
I followed closely behind him, my heart hammering fiercely against my ribs.
Mom and Ava stayed cowering in the study, weeping hysterically like helpless children.
We reached the front foyer and found the heavy mahogany front door completely splintered open.
My beautiful white SUV was sitting halfway inside our living room, having been driven directly through the large bay window.
The front bumper was crushed, and the airbags were fully deployed in the ruined cabin.
A tall, imposing man in a tailored black suit casually stepped out of the driver's side door.
He brushed some shattered glass off his sleeve and smiled warmly at my grandfather.
"Good evening, Mr. Sterling," the man said, completely ignoring the gun pointed directly at his chest.
"My name is Silas, and I believe your family owes me a significant amount of money."
Grandpa kept his weapon steady, his eyes narrowed in cold determination.
"You have exactly ten seconds to get out of my house before I put a bullet in your knee," Grandpa threatened.
Silas merely chuckled, pulling a thick manila folder from the inside pocket of his expensive jacket.
"You can shoot me, but that won't stop the foreclosure of this beautiful home," Silas replied smoothly.
He tossed the heavy folder onto the wooden floor right at my grandfather's feet.
"Your lovely granddaughter signed a legally binding contract using this estate as collateral," Silas explained.
Grandpa scoffed, refusing to lower his weapon even an inch.
"Ava has absolutely no legal right to sign away property she doesn't own," Grandpa stated confidently.
Silas smiled a terrifying, predatory smile that made my blood run entirely cold.
"I am fully aware of that fact," Silas said, turning his dark eyes directly toward me.
"That is exactly why the loan wasn't taken out in Ava's name."
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Silas reached into his pocket and pulled out a laminated driver's license.
"The loan is registered to Amelia Sterling, the sole inheritor of this estate."
