Chapter 5 - The Eviction
Forty-eight hours after the courthouse confrontation, I drove up to the luxury high-rise condominium building where Daniel and I had lived for the last three years.
The building was owned by Apex Residential, a subsidiary of my family's company. Daniel had always believed we were renting the unit from an anonymous private landlord at a discounted rate through his networking connections. He had no idea that I held the deed to the entire tower.
Accompanied by Arthur Vance and two uniformed sheriff’s deputies, I took the elevator to the top floor.
When the elevator doors slid open, the sound of glass breaking echoed down the hallway. Daniel and Olivia were inside the penthouse, screaming at each other in a frantic, unhinged rage.
"You told me your family had money!" Olivia screamed, her voice hoarse. "You told me you were going to buy out your partners and give me a ten-million-dollar divorce settlement!"
"I was going to, until you let her track your private holding company!" Daniel yelled back. "You were the one who used your work email to send the transfer codes, you idiot!"
"I did that because you were too cowardly to handle the paperwork yourself!"
Arthur knocked sharply on the open double doors. The shouting stopped instantly.
Daniel stood in the center of the living room, surrounded by half-packed cardboard boxes, clothes scattered across the Italian marble floor, and empty wine bottles. His hair was wild, his eyes bloodshot, and his suit wrinkled. Olivia stood near the kitchen island, her mascara smeared, holding a designer coat.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel demanded, his voice raspy. "Emma... what is this?"
"Mr. Carter," Sheriff Miller stepped forward, holding an official notice. "You are being served with an immediate Notice of Eviction and Asset Seizure. This property is owned by Apex Residential. The lease under Carter & Associates was terminated this morning due to breach of contract and insolvency."
Olivia dropped her coat in shock. "Eviction?! You're kicking us out onto the street?!"
"The lease was in the company's name, Olivia," I said, walking into the foyer, my arms crossed comfortably. "Since Carter & Associates is currently in federal receivership, all company-leased real estate must be surrendered immediately."
Daniel stumbled forward, grabbing his hair in sheer desperation. "Emma, please! My clothes, my personal art collection... you can't just take everything!"
"Personal items cleared by the court trustee can be retrieved next week," Arthur noted, gesturing for the deputies to step into the suite. "However, all luxury items, vehicles, and high-value artwork purchased using commingled funds from the Apex project are hereby impounded as evidence."
"This is cruel!" Olivia shrieked, pointing an angry finger at my face. "You're a monster, Emma! You played him, you played me, and you're enjoying every second of it!"
I walked over to Olivia, stopping just inches from her. Despite my pregnancy, I towered over her in authority and composure.
"You walked up to me outside the courtroom two days ago and told me that Daniel needed someone who matched his ambitions," I whispered softly, letting my words soak into her mind. "You told me my priorities were different now. You were right. My priority was clearing the garbage out of my life. And today, the janitors have arrived."
Olivia turned crimson, unable to utter a single response.
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"You have ten minutes to take your personal hand luggage and leave the premises," Deputy Miller instructed firmly, placing a hand on his holster. "Move along, both of you."
Daniel looked at me, his eyes filled with a pathetic, agonizing plea for mercy. But he saw no warmth, no nostalgia, and no forgiveness in my eyes—only the cold reality of the trap he had set for himself.
