Chapter 2 - The Barricaded Gates
Daniel did not go back into the hospital room. He turned and sprinted down the hallway, ignoring the startled nurses, taking the elevator down to the parking garage.
He drove his Porsche toward Lake Forest with reckless, desperate speed, convinced that if he could just get to the house, he could fix it. He could talk to the staff. He could call his lawyers. He could maintain the illusion of control.
Forty minutes later, he pulled up to the wrought-iron gates of the sprawling, ten-million-dollar waterfront estate he had called home for a decade.
The gates were closed.
He rolled down his window and swiped his biometric access card against the security scanner. A sharp red light blinked. ACCESS DENIED.
Daniel slammed his hand against the steering wheel and pressed the intercom button. "Marcus! Open the gate!"
The speaker crackled. It wasn't Marcus, the head of estate security who usually greeted him with a respectful nod. It was a voice he didn't recognize.
"May I help you, sir?"
"I am Daniel Mercer," Daniel barked. "Open these gates immediately."
"I apologize, Mr. Mercer," the unfamiliar voice replied, completely unfazed by his anger. "The property transferred ownership at 10:12 a.m. The new owners have contracted our private security firm, and your name is explicitly listed on the restricted access protocol. If you do not reverse your vehicle, I am legally obligated to contact the local authorities for trespassing."
May you like
Daniel stared through the iron bars. In the distance, he could see the manicured lawns, the stone facade of the villa, the life he had built—or rather, the life Evelyn had allowed him to inhabit.
He put the car in reverse. He had no home.
