Chapter 4 - The Showdown in the Living Room
Two days later, the real estate agents returned alongside prospective high-end buyers to finalize the cash purchase of the farmhouse. Derek had laid out a spread of wine and cheese in the living room, acting as the lord of the manor while their mother played the grieving yet pragmatic matriarch. Ethan walked in slowly, leaning on his cane, carrying a sleek black briefcase under his arm.
Derek scoffed, crossing his arms in front of the wealthy buyers. "Still wandering around, Ethan? We told you to pack your duffel bag. The new owners take possession by the end of the week."
"I wouldn't unpack your checkbooks just yet," Ethan said, his voice dropping into the calm, authoritative tone he had used while briefing superior officers in the field.
His mother flushed with anger. "Ethan, stop this embarrassing behavior right now! Sign the papers or security will escort you off the property!"
Ethan didn't shout. He simply walked over to the coffee table, set the briefcase down with a heavy thud, and popped the latches. He pulled out the holographic will, the forged mortgage documents, and the bank statements, spreading them across the polished wood right in front of the prospective buyers and their legal counsel.
"My grandfather’s apiary rests on land that was never part of your fraudulent settlement," Ethan announced clearly. "Furthermore, under this legally registered holographic codicil, witnessed and notarized by Grandpa Walter himself two weeks before he passed, any attempt by Derek or my mother to sell this property voids their inheritance entirely due to documented financial fraud."
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Color drained rapidly from Derek’s face. He lunged forward, grabbing the papers. "This is fake! He wasn't of sound mind!"
"The county clerk and three independent handwriting experts certified this yesterday morning," Ethan replied smoothly. He then plugged a small portable speaker into his phone and hit play. The clear audio of Derek and their mother conspiring to steal Ethan’s military medical payout and forge the real estate titles echoed off the living room walls.
