In seconds, his hand seized my collar, dragging me forward with brutal force until my tooth collided against the unforgiving table edge, pain detonating through my jaw as metallic warmth flooded my mouth. Courtney reacted with visible irritation rather than concern, while my younger sister, Avery Bennett, froze in stunned silence near the living room doorway.
Douglas loomed overhead, breathing heavily, his anger vibrating with the volatility of someone unaccustomed to resistance.
Karen’s voice emerged with unsettling softness. “Compliance remains the simplest path toward harmony.”
I pressed trembling fingers against my bleeding lip, astonished by the steadiness of my hands as I retrieved a folded document from my bag, placing it deliberately upon the table between scattered dinner plates and fractured illusions.
Douglas sneered dismissively. “Present your excuse.”
I met his gaze evenly, allowing a thin streak of blood to fall unceremoniously onto the floor before sliding the document toward him.
“It is the property deed,” I stated calmly. “Registered ownership documentation.”
Douglas unfolded the paper, skepticism dissolving gradually into visible confusion.