"This is all your fault!" Clara snapped suddenly, whirling around to point an accusing finger directly at Mark. "If you had handled your mother properly years ago—if you had asserted yourself like a real man instead of acting like a spineless coward—we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Mark dropped his hands slowly, looking up at her with bloodshot, exhausted eyes. For the first time in their relationship, the hypnotic spell of Clara’s manipulation snapped, replaced by a sudden, bitter surge of resentment. "My fault?" Mark laughed bitterly, a harsh, humorless sound. "My fault? Who was it that convinced me to buy the third yacht we couldn't afford? Who was it that forged my signature on those offshore real estate documents in the Bahamas? You drained my personal accounts faster than I could fill them!"
"Don't you dare try to turn this around on me!" Clara shrieked, lunging toward him, her hands clawing at the air. "I was the one keeping us relevant! I was the one maintaining our social standing while you sat around feeling sorry for yourself!"
Before Clara could strike him, the heavy oak front door of the mansion swung open with a resounding click.
Both of them froze, their arguments dying in their throats. Heavy, measured footsteps echoed through the foyer, followed by the sight of two unfamiliar men in sharp charcoal suits carrying heavy aluminum briefcases, accompanied by a local county sheriff’s deputy.
The deputy stepped into the living room, his hand resting casually on his utility belt. He scanned the tense, disheveled couple with an expression of practiced professional indifference.
"Mr. Mark Vance and Ms. Clara Sterling?" the deputy asked, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings.
Mark swallowed hard, slowly standing up from the sofa. "I... I'm Mark Vance. What is this about?"
The deputy stepped forward and handed Mark a thick packet of legal documents. "You are hereby served with a formal eviction and asset-seizure notice issued by the Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of Vance Global Holdings and the primary estate trust. All residential properties, vehicles, and luxury assets registered under corporate holding entities must be vacated within seventy-two hours."