The heavy oak front doors slammed against the foyer walls, vibrating the crystal chandelier above.
"Elena!"
Ryan stormed into the living room. He dragged a pale, wide-eyed Chloe behind him by the wrist. He marched straight to the glass coffee table and slapped a crumpled piece of paper onto the surface. The official city seal stared up at me.
"What is this?" he demanded, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "Are you out of your mind?"
I remained seated on the velvet armchair, my legs crossed. I didn't glance at the stop-work notice. "It looks like an injunction. The city acts fast."
"You shut down Star River Bay!" He pointed a shaking finger at the paper. "Do you have any idea what you just did to our cash flow? The investors are calling my phone every five seconds. The bank is threatening to freeze the construction loans."
"Your cash flow," I corrected. "Your loans."
Chloe let out a small, wounded gasp. She stepped forward, resting one hand on the edge of the leather sofa for support. Her other hand protectively cradled her slightly bulging stomach. She wore a pale blue maternity dress, the exact one I had seen hanging in my closet an hour ago.
"Elena, please," Chloe whimpered, tears welling in her eyes. "I know you're angry with me. I know you're jealous. But don't punish Ryan for our mistakes. He worked so hard to build this company. You can't destroy his life's work just because of a petty rivalry."
I didn't look at her. I didn't acknowledge her tears or her trembling voice.
Instead, I reached for the thick property registration book resting beside my teacup. I flipped it open to the centerfold.
"Elena, look at her when she speaks to you!" Ryan yelled. "She's stressed enough as it is. You're terrorizing a pregnant woman."
"I'm reviewing my assets," I said, flattening the pages of the ledger. I picked up a red felt-tip pen from the table.
"Stop playing games," Ryan snapped. "Call the city. Tell them it's a clerical error. Withdraw whatever absurd claim you filed, or I swear to God..."
"Or you'll do what?" I asked, finally raising my head to meet his gaze. "Divorce me? You already offered me the west wing of my own house this morning."
I pressed the red pen to the thick paper. With a swift, aggressive stroke, I drew a massive X straight through the printed title of the Star River Bay development.
"What are you doing?" Ryan stepped closer, his brow furrowing.
"Every single design draft," I said, my voice steady, "every blueprint, every structural layout you paraded in front of your investors. They don't belong to your firm."
Ryan stared at the red ink bleeding into the page. "That's impossible. The company paid for the zoning."
"The company paid for the permits," I clarified. "I filed the intellectual property registrations. All twelve core developments, including Star River Bay, are copyrighted exclusively under my name. You don't own the designs, Ryan. You never did."
The color drained from his face. The aggressive posture dissolved into pure shock. His mouth opened, closed, and opened again.
"You're lying," he whispered.
"Call your legal department. Ask them who holds the IP rights."
"Give me that." He lunged across the coffee table, his hand grasping for the registration book.
I moved faster. I seized his wrist, digging my nails into his skin, and twisted his arm backward just enough to lock his joint.
"Don't touch my property," I warned.
He let out a sharp hiss of pain, struggling against my grip. "You set me up! You planned this!"
"I protected my work." I shoved his arm away.
He stumbled back, bumping into Chloe, who let out another dramatic shriek and clutched his jacket.
"Ryan, my stomach," she cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "She's crazy. She's going to hurt the baby."
I stood up, smoothing the wrinkles from my skirt. I pointed straight at the open front doors.
"You have twenty-four hours to pack your things and vacate this property," I said.
Ryan steadied Chloe, glaring at me over her blonde head. "Vacate? This house is a company asset. I paid for the land."
"Dream House LLC paid for the land," I corrected. "The same company you have been using as your private bank. I filed for emergency receivership this afternoon. If the court grants it, you lose control of every company property—including this house."
His glare sharpened. "You think a judge will hand my company to you?"
"I think the financial records will persuade one. If the order is signed, you will leave when the court officer tells you to leave."
Chloe sobbed louder, clinging to him. "Ryan, where are we going to go? The baby needs a stable home."
"We aren't going anywhere," Ryan spat.
He stepped around the coffee table, his shock morphing back into a cold, arrogant sneer. He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a heavy brass spare key, tossing it into the air and catching it in his palm.
"You think a broken copyright can stop me?" he mocked. "You think some paperwork gives you the right to throw me out of my own home?"
"The law gives me the right."
"I am the legal representative of this company," Ryan said, his voice dropping low. "I control the board. I control the accounts. You want to play dirty, Elena? Fine."
He shoved the spare key back into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He bypassed his contacts and dialed a number from memory.
He held the phone to his ear, his gaze fixed on mine, a hard smile spreading across his face.
"Security," Ryan said into the receiver. "Cancel Elena's access to the main office, freeze her corporate accounts, and send a team to the mansion right now to remove a trespasser."
