Tanya froze, her jaw dropping open in sheer horror. She spun around and sprinted into her house, her heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway. Emily stood on the porch as Tanya realized the truth: her mother’s room was completely empty, stripped clean down to the bare mattress. Evelyn was gone, safe and comfortable miles away, entirely beyond Tanya’s reach.
A moment later, Tanya stumbled back to the front door, her face flushed a deep, blotchy red. The smug, arrogant predator was gone; in her place stood someone utterly stripped of her leverage, her inheritance, and her power. "You ruined everything," Tanya whispered, her voice cracking with pathetic desperation. "You ruined my life."
"You ruined your own life, Tanya," Emily replied coldly. "You have thirty days to clear your belongings off our property. If you cause a single incident, toss garbage, or make noise, we will file for an immediate emergency eviction and press criminal trespassing charges through the LLC. Have a nice day."