“You sure about this?”
“They want to see the house.”
“The deed was recorded with Travis County yesterday,” he said. “Everything is complete.”
“I know.”
I checked the rearview mirror.
Their car was still behind me.
“How’s the car?”
“Parked in the driveway.”
“Good.”
Brianna kept texting.
“Just do the right thing.”
“Don’t embarrass yourself.”
“Mom’s blood pressure is up because of you.”
I ignored all three.
When I turned onto Grandma’s street, the house came into view.
Wide porch.
Familiar windows.
The garden she had spent years tending.
And in the driveway, exactly where Adrien said it would be, sat his white Tesla.
Brianna recognized it immediately.
She stopped walking after she got out of the car.
Mom noticed.
“What?”
Brianna stared at the vehicle.
“That’s my CEO’s car.”
Dad looked sharply at her.
“Adrien Mercer?”
She nodded.
“What would he be doing here?”
I walked toward the porch.
My old key was still in my hand even though it no longer opened anything.
“Why don’t we find out?”
Before I knocked, the front door opened.
Adrien stood there casually dressed, confident without trying to appear impressive.
Brianna’s voice cracked.
“Mr. Mercer?”
He nodded politely.
“Ms. Holloway.”
Then he looked at me.
“Jasmine. Perfect timing.”
Mom stepped forward.
“Can someone explain what’s going on?”
Natalie moved quickly, switching into sales mode.
“Mr. Mercer, I’m Natalie Brooks. I understand you’re interested in the property.”
Adrien looked at her.
“I’m not interested.”
He rested one hand against the doorframe.
“I’m the owner.”
Silence.
Dad recovered first.
“That’s impossible. This house belongs to Jasmine.”
“Belonged,” Camille corrected.
I looked at him.
“The sale was finalized four days ago.”
Brianna’s face changed in stages.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Then fear.
“You sold it.”
She looked toward Adrien.
Then back at me.
“You sold it to my boss.”
“Technically, Mercer Property Holdings purchased it,” Adrien said. “Everything was handled legally.”
Camille nodded.
“I reviewed the transaction. The deed has been recorded.”
Mom’s voice rose.
“You had no right.”
Adrien answered before I could.
“She had every right. It was her property.”
Natalie looked stunned.
“But we had buyers.”
“A little late for that,” Adrien said.
Dad stepped closer.
“This is manipulation.”
Adrien almost laughed.
“I paid $875,000 for this property.”
That number stopped everyone.
“It was approximately $55,000 above the estimated value,” he continued. “Jasmine was not exploited.”
Dad looked at me.
“You planned this.”