Chapter 2 - The In-Law Ambush
I unlatched the deadbolt with trembling fingers and pulled the door open just a few inches.
The officer tipped his hat, asking if I was Claire Mercer.
When I confirmed my identity, he handed me a court summons and walked away without another word.
I tore open the manila envelope and read the terrifying words printed on the first page.
Evan had filed an emergency injunction claiming I was suffering from a severe mental breakdown.
He was demanding a freeze on the 6.8 million dollars from the house sale.
Even worse, his mother Diane had petitioned the court to be granted immediate medical power of attorney over me.
They were trying to legally institutionalize me to regain control of the real estate money.
I called Dana immediately, my voice echoing with a mixture of pure rage and genuine panic.
Dana told me to pack my bags because the hotel was no longer a secure location.
She explained that Diane had hired a private investigator to track my credit card usage.
I threw my clothes back into my suitcase, realizing the Mercer family was far more dangerous than I thought.
I rushed down the back stairwell to avoid the main lobby and stepped into the rainy alleyway.
A black town car pulled up beside me, and the tinted rear window slowly rolled down.
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I expected to see Dana waiting for me inside the vehicle.
Instead, I saw Brooke Ellis staring back at me with a bruised cheek and a terrified expression.
