Chapter 4 - Collateral Damage
Maya held her ground in the doorway, her stern expression unbroken as she looked the menacing stranger up and down. She had spent a decade negotiating multi-million-dollar corporate acquisitions; a heavy-set debt collector in a cheap suit did not intimidate her in the slightest.
"You have the wrong address," Maya said coldly, her hand resting firmly on the polished brass doorknob. "There is no money here for you."
The man in sunglasses finally shifted his gaze to Maya, tilting his head slightly. "You must be the sister. The successful one. The one who pays for all of Marcus's expensive toys." He stepped past her without waiting for an invitation, invading the pristine entryway. "Too bad she didn't pay his gambling debts."
Marcus scrambled backward until he collided with the kitchen island, his hands raised defensively. "I told you, I'm getting the cash! I just need a couple more days to liquidate some assets!"
"Assets?" The collector let out a harsh, barking laugh. "You don't own a single thing in this zip code, pal. Your fiancée pawned her engagement ring three weeks ago, and it wasn't even real diamond. It was cubic zirconia."
Chloe let out a strangled gasp, her hands flying to cover her face as Marcus whipped his head around to stare at her in betrayal. "You said it was real! You told me it was an heirloom!"
"Shut up, Marcus! You were going to spend the insurance payout on a sports car anyway!" Chloe shrieked, finally dropping the sophisticated facade and devolving into a frantic, screaming mess.
Maya watched the domestic disaster unfold with cold, detached fascination. She didn't yell. She didn't cry. She simply reached into her blazer pocket, pulled out her sleek corporate phone, and tapped the screen twice.
"If you don't remove yourself and your associates from my property in the next thirty seconds," Maya said into the phone, her voice carrying a terrifying, measured authority, "I will have private security and local law enforcement drag you out and impound that black sedan idling in my driveway."
The collector paused, his eyes narrowing as he sized Maya up. He saw the cold resolve in her dark eyes and realized she wasn't bluffing. He spat on the hardwood floor, shook his head in disgust, and turned toward the door.
"You've got forty-eight hours to clear the ledger, Marcus," the man growled over his shoulder as he stepped out into the night. "After that, we don't come for your things. We come for your kneecaps."
The heavy door slammed shut behind him, leaving a suffocating silence in the room. Marcus collapsed onto the floor, sobbing hysterically into his knees, while Chloe stared blankly at the wall.
May you like
Maya looked down at them with absolute contempt, stepping over Marcus's outstretched legs as she walked toward the stairs. "Pack your bags. Now."
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