Chapter 4 - The Eviction of the Parasites
The chaotic symphony of buzzing phones reached a crescendo before cutting off entirely as banking servers processed the emergency freeze orders. Derek pulled his smartphone out of his pocket with trembling fingers, staring at the screen where a red notification banner flashed: ACCOUNT ACCESS RESTRICTED - CONTACT FRAUD DEPARTMENT.
“No... no, no, no,” Derek muttered, tapping frantically against the glass. He looked up, his face twisted in desperate rage. “You can’t do this! You’ll ruin me! My credit, my business associates, my reputation—”
“What reputation, Derek?” I asked coldly. “The one built on lies, stolen money, and the exploitation of a dying child?”
Vanessa let out a sharp, hysterical sob, clutching her swollen abdomen as reality finally crashed down upon her. “Marissa, please! You can’t do this to me! I’m your sister! What about the baby? Are you going to leave your own nephew destitute?”
I looked at Vanessa, remembering the countless times she had sat in my kitchen, eating food I paid for, while plotting to destroy my marriage behind my back.
“You didn’t care about Holly when you were laughing at her bedside,” I said, my voice cutting through her tears like a knife. “You didn’t care about my family when you decided to build your future on the grave of my daughter. You are my sister in blood only, Vanessa. From this second forward, you are a complete stranger.”
Calvin Rhodes gave a subtle nod toward the door. Two burly private security guards—men hired by the trust to handle high-risk corporate asset recovery—stepped into Room 412, filling the doorway with quiet, intimidating presence.
“Mr. Moretti, Ms. Parker,” Calvin said smoothly, gesturing toward the corridor. “Your presence is no longer required here. In fact, under the emergency restraining orders just filed with the county magistrate, you are both legally barred from coming within five hundred yards of Mrs. Moretti, her daughter, or any properties owned by the Rhodes Estate.”
“You can’t throw us out on the street!” Vanessa shrieked, tears streaming down her face as she backed toward the corner of the room. “I have nowhere to go! My name is on the lease for the penthouse!”
“The penthouse lease was executed using embezzled funds from the trust,” Arthur Vance corrected without looking up from his tablet. “The master lease has already been legally reassigned back to the estate holdings. Your personal belongings are currently being packed into storage lockers paid for by the trust—for exactly thirty days. After that, they go to charity.”
Derek tried to puff out his chest, attempting one last pathetic display of intimidation. “You’ll pay for this, Marissa! I’ll fight you in every court in the state! I’ll make sure you never see a dime of—!”
“Shut up, Derek,” I snapped, stepping right up to him so he could see the absolute fury burning in my eyes. “You’re facing fifteen years in federal prison for wire fraud and corporate embezzlement. The only place you’ll be fighting anyone is across a metal table in a penitentiary visitor's room.”
I flicked my hand toward the guards. “Get them out of my sight.”
The two security operatives moved with swift, professional efficiency. Derek cursed, thrashing slightly as one of the guards gripped his arm firmly, guiding him toward the door. Vanessa sobbed loudly, clutching her handbag to her chest as she was ushered out behind him.
The heavy door swung shut, clicking softly into place.
May you like
Silence descended upon Room 412 once more, save for the steady, rhythmic beep of Holly’s heart monitor and the quiet hiss of her oxygen tube.
I let out a long, shuddering breath, the immense weight of the past eighteen months finally lifting from my shoulders. My knees felt weak, and I sank back into the armchair beside Holly’s bed, burying my face in my hands.
