“This property is deeded to the Lauren Hayes Trust. Your name is not on the deed. Furthermore, your access privileges to this gated community have just been permanently revoked by the owner.” Ryan stopped dead in his tracks. The color completely drained from his face.

His eyes darted from Marcus, to the tow truck lifting the girlfriend’s car off the ground, and finally to me. The realization of his catastrophic stupidity hit him all at once. He had mistaken my grief for weakness, and he had completely forgotten who actually held the keys to the kingdom.

He opened his mouth to speak, to backtrack, to try and charm his way out of the hole he had just dug. “Lauren, baby, wait, let’s just talk about this—” I pushed off the hood of my car and walked slowly toward him. I stopped just a few feet away, looking directly into his panicked, desperate eyes.

I thought about my mother. I thought about the text messages. I thought about the vintage wine. “Five minutes,” I said, my voice cutting through the hum of the tow truck engine. “What?” he stammered. “Five minutes,” I repeated, louder this time. “That’s exactly how long you have to leave my property before Marcus arrests you for trespassing.

And Ryan? Make sure you look good for your walk to the main gate. The neighbors might be watching.”