Chapter 3: The Arrival of the Authorities
Before Brandon could process the cataclysmic shift in reality, the heavy front oak doors of the mansion clicked open. The sound of measured, synchronized footsteps echoed across the marble foyer.
Two uniformed police officers, accompanied by a civilian in a sharp grey suit, walked into the dining room.
Brandon’s anger vanished entirely, replaced by a jittery, frantic confusion. "Officers? You must be at the wrong address. This is a private residence—"
"Stay right where you are, Mr. Sterling," the lead officer commanded, his hand resting calmly on his utility belt.
Martha stood up, her face mottled with rage and fear. "Do you know who we are? My son is a pillar of this community! Get these intruders out of our—"
"It's not your house, Mrs. Sterling," the civilian in the grey suit said, stepping forward. He was Mr. Vance’s senior legal counsel, holding a separate binder. "And you aren't just facing eviction. You're facing criminal charges."
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Brandon looked from the police officers to his mother, then back to Elena. His voice cracked. "Elena... what is happening? What is this about?"
Elena looked at her husband with profound pity. "The problem, Brandon, has never been our arguments over household rules. The problem is that last Tuesday, while I was out of town, your mother took my master keys from my private office without permission. She unlocked my safe, stole my personal jewelry, and attempted to forge my signature on a transfer of title."
