Vivien’s eyes narrowed.
“We’ll see what the HOA board has to say about this.”
She spun on one heel and stormed down the driveway. Gregory followed with an apologetic shrug.
Elijah did not bother watching them leave. He already knew the matter was far from over.
The next HOA meeting became a spectacle. Elijah did not attend, but his next-door neighbor, Sandra Mills, filled him in the following morning. According to Sandra, Vivien had stood before the board for forty full minutes warning members about the “dangerous element” that had moved into Maple Ridge Estates. She had even brought a PowerPoint presentation about street-racing culture.
Sandra laughed as she told him, “She actually called you a hooligan. I reminded her that the only people causing trouble were her and Logan. She did not appreciate that.”
The harassment intensified.
Elijah began finding notes tucked beneath his windshield wipers. His garbage cans were mysteriously knocked over every collection day. A city notice even appeared claiming his grass was half an inch too long. Every week brought another petty jab.
Then came the Saturday morning when everything boiled over.
Elijah sat in his kitchen with coffee in hand, enjoying the quiet, until he heard voices outside. Looking through the window, he saw Logan and the same two friends taking selfies beside the Mustang through the garage window.
Elijah placed his cup on the counter and stepped outside.
“Logan, you need to leave. Now.”
“It’s just pictures, bro,” Logan said. “They’re for Instagram. My followers love cars like this.”
“Get off my property. I won’t ask again.”
Logan’s cheeks turned red.
“You know what? Forget you. That car should be mine anyway. You’re too old to appreciate it. You probably can’t even drive it properly.”
Elijah’s voice dropped, taking on the commanding edge his officers called his chief voice.
“Leave now, or I will call the police.”
Logan scoffed.
“My mom already did. She said you stole this car. She looked up the registration, and it doesn’t even have your name on it.”
Elijah exhaled slowly. Vivien must have discovered that the title was still registered in his late father’s name. The inheritance transfer had been delayed for months.
