Chapter 5 - Who Owns the Castle?
The word *my* hung in the air like a poisoned dart.
Denise nodded emphatically from the sofa, smoothing her skirt. “That’s right, Officer. My son worked very hard to provide this luxurious home. This woman came from nothing. We took her in, gave her a roof over her head, and this is how she repays him? By destroying his home and assaulting him? Check the registry! This is Ryan Mercer’s residence!”
Officer Miller glanced around the palatial apartment—the twelve-foot floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the skyline, the imported Italian Calacatta marble, the custom bronze fixtures, and the museum-grade modern art lining the walls. This wasn’t an ordinary apartment; it was a trophy property worth easily over two million dollars.
Officer Vance knelt beside me, gently placing a sterile burn dressing from her medical pouch across my blistered skin. “Hang in there, ma'am. Paramedics are in the elevator. Did he hit you?”
“He hit me twice,” I choked out, tears of pain leaking down my bruised cheeks. “His mother dumped the boiling soup on my lap deliberately because I told her she couldn't come into my home without permission. When I tried to call for an ambulance, Ryan took my phone and beat me until I apologized to her.”
“That’s a lie! A slanderous lie!” Denise screeched, standing up and pointing a trembling, manicured finger at me. “Officers, arrest her! My son is the owner here! He has the legal right to evict her this very second!”
Officer Miller pulled out his notepad, his brow furrowed. He looked at Ryan, who was glaring at me with raw hatred, convinced his status as a man and his mother’s theatrics would shield him.
“Alright,” Officer Miller said calmly. “Let’s sort out the domestic dispute first. Sir, you claim you are the sole owner of this property and you want her removed?”
“Yes!” Ryan barked, crossing his arms proudly. “I bought this place. Her name isn't on a single utility bill. She’s essentially a guest who overstayed her welcome and turned violent. Get her out, take her to jail, and don’t let her back in without a court order.”
I swallowed the metallic taste of blood in my mouth and looked Officer Miller dead in the eye.
May you like
“Officer Miller,” I said, my voice steady despite the agony ravaging my lower body. “Go into the master bedroom office. Behind the oil painting of the harbor, there is a biometric wall safe. Place my right thumb on the scanner. Inside, you will find the original purchase deed, the title insurance, and the municipal tax receipts.”
Ryan laughed loudly, a mocking, derisive sound. “Go ahead, Officer! Check the safe! Show this delusional b***h who runs this house!”
