Paying three hundred thousand dollars of debt before being ordered out of the house
I sat in the driver’s seat for a long moment, watching the traffic move toward the downtown expressway. The final ninety-five thousand dollars was gone from my accounts, leaving my personal savings entirely depleted, but the legal framework was now locked in place.
When I parked in the Elmwood driveway at four o’clock, the house looked unusually still, the curtains drawn shut against the late afternoon sun. There were two cars parked near the garage, including the large black sedan that belonged to Arthur and Evelyn.
I walked through the kitchen door, carrying my leather portfolio under my arm, and found them waiting. Marcus was standing near the center island, his arms crossed over his chest, while his parents sat at the mahogany dining table just beyond the kitchen archway.
The air in the room was heavy, smelling faintly of cold coffee and old paper, the silence thick and deliberate. Nobody spoke as I set my portfolio down on the counter.
“The transfer is complete,” I said, looking directly at Marcus. “The bank confirmed the funds reached the escrow account twenty minutes ago. The lien is cleared.”
