“We’ll see whether that vehicle even complies with HOA regulations,” Vivien sniffed. “I’ll be reviewing the guidelines tonight.”

And review them she did.

Within days, Elijah began receiving violation notices that bordered on ridiculous. One claimed the Mustang was too loud, even though he had not started it anywhere near Vivien’s house. Another claimed the blue paint was too bright and could distract passing drivers. The final notice accused him of owning a commercial vehicle because, as Vivien wrote, the Mustang could potentially be used for racing.

Elijah answered every notice with calm precision, quoting the HOA bylaws word for word. Every citation she issued collapsed under the actual policy. Each time she lost an argument, Vivien became angrier.

By the following Saturday, the conflict escalated.

Logan returned with two friends. Elijah was mowing his lawn when he spotted the three boys heading up the driveway.

“Hey, Mr. Grant,” Logan called, his tone falsely cheerful. “My boys and I were wondering whether you’d reconsider letting us take the car out. Just a quick spin around the block.”

“The answer is still no, Logan,” Elijah replied, steady and firm.

One of the boys, a bulky teenager wearing a football jersey, stepped forward.

“Come on, man. Don’t be such a hard case. What’s it going to hurt?”

Elijah straightened. His voice carried the quiet authority of two decades in law enforcement.

“You boys need to go home. This conversation is over.”

They lingered long enough for Logan to throw him a glare that promised he was not finished. Then they finally left.

An hour later, Vivien returned, dragging her husband, Gregory Hartman, along with her. Gregory looked miserable and clearly did not want to be there, but Vivien was already in full attack mode.

“You threatened my son and his friends,” she snapped. “Gregory is a lawyer. We could sue you for emotional distress.”

Gregory winced but said nothing. Elijah already knew he was a tax attorney who probably had not entered a courtroom in years.

“I asked them to leave my property,” Elijah said calmly. “That is within my rights.”