Chapter 6 - The Secondary Lien
The man with the dark coat tapped his tablet screen, the harsh blue light reflecting off his sunglasses as he stared down Martha. In the shadows of the hallway, Iris gripped the wooden banister so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her mind raced. A secondary lien? Her grandfather had never mentioned any other financial obligations besides the mortgage Martha had ranted about in the basement.
"She doesn't know anything," Martha lied instantly, her voice defensively sharp as she stepped between the bailiff and the stairs. "This is a family matter. You have no right to question a minor."
"Actually, under the amended trust terms filed three days before the decedent's passing, Miss Iris is legally tied to every single financial instrument attached to this property," the bailiff replied smoothly, his tone entirely devoid of empathy. He swiped the screen again. "That includes the high-interest commercial loan taken out against the family business downtown."
Martha stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth as the full horror of the situation set in. "The business? He didn't touch the shop. That was my husband’s legacy!"
"It was used as collateral, Mrs. Hayes," the second man added quietly. "And unless the primary note is settled in full within twenty-four hours, the shop, the house, and all personal contents inside these walls will be seized to satisfy the creditors."
Iris felt her knees go weak. The birthday party, the shattered cake, the screaming, the bruised arm—all of it felt like a lifetime ago. Her grandfather hadn't just left them debt; he had systematically dismantled every pillar of their financial stability, leaving two desperate women to take the fall. Martha turned her head, her gaze locking onto Iris standing on the lower steps of the basement. There was no fury left in Martha's eyes, only a terrifying, desperate vulnerability.
"You heard them," Martha whispered bitterly, the fight completely drained from her posture. "Your grandfather made sure we would destroy each other before the banks even had to lift a finger."
Iris slowly walked down the rest of the steps into the living room, her posture stiff. "We need to find out why he did this. There has to be a paper trail somewhere else. A lawyer, a partner, someone."
May you like
Before Martha could answer, her cell phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table next to the ruined cake. She snatched it up, her eyes widening as she read the caller ID flashing across the screen.
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