You have forty-five minutes to pack your personal clothes and leave.”
The Empire Crumbles
Vanessa’s hands shook violently as she dialed Ryan.
Deep in his downtown office, Ryan answered on the first ring. “Hey babe, what’s up?”
“Ryan! You need to come home right now!” Vanessa screamed, her voice cracking with hysteria. “There are men here!
They’re taking everything! They’re saying your dad sold the house!”
“What? That’s impossible! The old man doesn’t have the guts!”
Ryan laughed nervously, but fear was already creeping into his throat. “He’s just trying to scare us.
Let me call him.”
Ryan slammed his phone down and dialed my number.
I let it ring three times before I answered.
I was sitting in a diner down the street from his office, eating a plate of eggs.
“Dad! What the hell are you doing?!” Ryan roared through the line. “There are people at my house!
