Chapter 2

Early the next morning, I got ready to meet the real estate broker. When I came down the stairs, Nathan and Mia were already seated at the dining table.

The moment Nathan saw me, he stood up quickly and slid a glass of milk in front of me with eager flattery.

"Elena, you look pale. Drink some milk, it'll make you feel better."

Before I could refuse, Mia put on her baby voice, whining like she always did.

"I want milk, too. Can you... give yours to me?"

I glanced down at her side of the table. A fresh, full glass of milk was already sitting right next to her hand.

She blinked up at me innocently, completely certain that I would back down.

"No."

Afraid she hadn't heard me, I looked straight into her eyes and repeated:

"I said, no."

Mia froze. She clearly hadn’t expected me to push back. Instantly, her lower lip trembled, her eyes welled with tears, and her voice broke into a pathetic whimper.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"You're the only family I have left in this world. It breaks my heart when you treat me like this."

She barely got two fake sentences out before Nathan melted into total sympathy for her. Just like all the other times he had "mediated" our arguments, he snatched the glass from my hands, placed it directly in front of Mia to keep the peace, and turned to lecture me.

"If she wants it, just let her have it. It’s just a glass of milk."

"Elena, you're her sister. Can’t you be a little generous for once?"

Mia took the glass, her fingertips intentionally brushing across the back of Nathan's hand. She looked up at me with a smirk, locked eyes with mine, and took a slow, triumphant sip.

I didn't waste another breath on them.

I grabbed my purse and walked straight out the door.

The real estate agent at the firm was extremely professional. After reviewing the house’s deed and recent appraisal, he offered a sympathetic warning.

"Elena, this property is in a prime neighborhood, and the layout is fantastic."

"I know you bought this intending it to be your marital home, and you put a lot of money into the renovations. Listing it as a fire sale means you'll lose a lot of equity. Are you sure you don't want to wait for the spring market?"

My expression remained completely flat as I gave him the unfiltered truth.

"No waiting. My fiancé cheated on me with my sister. The wedding is off."

"I want this property gone yesterday. I’ll take a cash offer at ten percent below market value for an immediate close."

The agent’s polished sales grin instantly vanished. After an awkward pause, he gave me an understanding nod.

"Understood. Consider it done. I'll push this through today."

I paused, adding the most crucial condition:

"One more thing: there are two squatters currently living in that house. I want nothing to do with them. Your buyer's team is responsible for clearing them out."

He immediately caught my drift, and we signed the paperwork in minutes.

Right as I walked out, my phone buzzed with a message from Robert.

[Elena, the public legal notice went to print this morning.]

Everything was falling into place.

After leaving the coffee shop, I headed straight to my office, submitted an extended leave of absence, and booked an open-ended international flight. I was going to give myself the break I deserved.

But as soon as I stepped out of the office lobby, Nathan ambushed me. He grabbed my wrist, frantically pulling me toward the parking lot.

"Come on, hurry up!"

"My mom just flew in from out of town. She’s at the house right now, demanding to talk about the wedding!"