The dark heavy clouds gathered over the city as evening fell. Inside the grand living room of the estate, Brandon was pacing back and forth across the thick Persian rug. His tie was undone, and the top buttons of his shirt were popped open. His mother sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the cold fireplace. The house was dead quiet, save for the ticking of the tall grandfather clock in the hall.
Brandon: I called six different board members! None of them are answering my calls!
Evelyn: They know, Brandon. They have known the truth the whole time.
Brandon: We can fight this in court! We have rights as the original founders!
Evelyn: You cannot fight a woman who owns the debt on everything you hold in your hands.
Before Brandon could reply, the sudden heavy sound of boots echoed outside the front porch. The front doorbell rang sharply three times, followed by a loud, authoritative knock on the dark wooden doors. Brandon jumped, looking toward the hallway with wide, frantic eyes.
Brandon: Who is that at this hour of the night?
He rushed into the grand foyer and pulled the door open. Four men dressed in dark navy business suits were standing under the bright porch light. At the front of the group stood an older man with graying hair and a thin, sharp face. He held a thick leather binder under his arm and looked at Brandon with cold, professional distance.
Lawyer: Are you Mr. Brandon Sterling?
Brandon: Who wants to know? Get off my property before I call security!
Lawyer: My name is Arthur Vance. I am senior counsel for the Vance Corporate Group. And this is no longer your property.
Evelyn: Excuse me! My husband bought this land thirty years ago!
Lawyer: Your husband signed a thirty-million-dollar private mortgage with Vance Capital four years ago. The deed was held as collateral against corporate performance targets.
Brandon: We have never missed a single monthly payment! You cannot foreclose on us!
Lawyer: The contract specifies that if Sterling Financial defaults on its primary line of credit, the property enters immediate technical default. Your line of credit was terminated at nine o'clock this morning.
Brandon felt the air leave his lungs. He stepped back into the doorway, holding onto the door frame to keep his balance. His mind was racing, trying to find a single logical path out of the trap that was closing around his throat.
Brandon: My wife would never do this to me! This is illegal!
Lawyer: Mrs. Victoria Vance has authorized us to serve you with these legal documents. Here is the formal notice of foreclosure and immediate possession.
The lawyer handed a thick stack of paper to Brandon. The papers felt heavy in his hands. Across the top of the first page, big bold black letters read: NOTICE OF IMMEDIATE EVICTION AND ASSET SEIZURE.
Brandon: Immediate? You have to give us thirty days notice by law!
Lawyer: That applies to residential tenants, Mr. Sterling. This property was registered as a corporate guest house under Sterling Financial. You are an employee using company housing.
Evelyn: You are throwing an old woman out into the dark street?
Lawyer: You have thirty minutes to gather your personal clothing and small electronics. Moving trucks are already parked down the road to handle the corporate furniture.
Brandon looked past the lawyer toward the driveway. Two massive silver transport trucks were pulling through the front gates, their yellow headlights cutting through the darkness. Behind them were two flatbed tow trucks. The drivers got out and began walking directly toward Brandon's red Italian sports car parked near the fountain.
Brandon: Hey! Get away from my car! Touch that vehicle and I will kill you!
Lawyer: That vehicle is leased through Sterling Financial, Mr. Sterling. The lease agreement was revoked two hours ago due to non-payment. Stand back or the officers will arrest you for interference.