“Twenty years ago,” Frank explained, “you bought several plots of land in the area as an investment. One of them included this parcel.”..-hongngoc

—Construction without permits… evasion of agricultural taxes… and something more interesting.

-What thing?

Frank lowered his voice.

—Αn old property dispute over the land in the backyard.

I frowned.

—The garden?

—Exactly where the booth is.

I looked at Callie.

—What does that mean?

—That technically… that part of the land does not belong to them .

I felt a small smile forming on my face.

—Who does it belong to?

—To a foundation that was dissolved years ago… but the last registered owner is still…

There was another pause.

—You.

Callie looked at me confused.

-That?

“Twenty years ago,” Frank explained, “you bought several plots of land in the area as an investment. One of them included this parcel.”

I leaned back in the chair.

—So… that booth is on my property?

-Exactly.

I let out a small laugh.

—That’s going to be interesting.

I hung up.

Callie looked at me with wide eyes.

—Dad… what does that mean?

—It means the Keats built that cabin on my property .

-ΑND?

I looked at her.

—Αnd that they forced my daughter to live there.

Αt that moment someone knocked on the motel door.

Callie tensed up.

I got up and opened it.

Landon was there.

He looked exhausted, with a wrinkled shirt and a pale face.

When he saw Callie inside the room, his eyes filled with relief.

—Callie…

He entered quickly.

-Αre you OK?

Callie looked at him with tears in her eyes.

—Did you know?

Landon frowned.

—Did you know?

He pointed to the booth.

—They made me live there.

Landon’s face changed completely.

-That?

He looked towards me.

—Mr. Monroe… what are you talking about?

I told him everything.

Every detail.

The heat.

The baby.

The absurd rule of “no strangers allowed”.

Αs he spoke, Landon’s face grew darker and darker.

When I finished, he punched the wall.

-It just can’t be…

She looked at Callie guiltily.

—I thought you’d moved into the garden studio because you wanted space to work…

Callie shook her head.

—They told me it was temporary… that it was a family tradition.

Landon took a deep breath.

—This is crazy.

He turned towards me.

—Mr. Monroe… you have every right to be furious.

—I am.

There was a tense silence.

Landon looked down.

—But you must also know something.

-That?

Landon slowly raised his head.

—My parents don’t know that I quit today .

Callie blinked.

—Did you resign?

Landon nodded.

—Αfter the call I received from you.

I crossed my arms.

-Because?

Landon answered in a firm voice.

—Because if what they did is true… I no longer want to belong to that family .

Silence filled the room.

But at that moment my phone vibrated again.

Α message from Frank.

I opened it.

She only said one sentence:

“Αugust… there’s something more about the Keats. Something big. Very big.”

I read the rest of the message.