My sister announced in the family group chat that I was officially banned from the reunion and she made it clear no one was to tell me where it would be. I didn’t argue. I didn’t reply. I simply opened the location pin… and laughed so hard I had to cover my mouth.

My mother walks out last, holding a crystal wine glass that I bought in Italy. “Katelyn, leave this instant,” she demands. “We are having a private family moment, and you are not part of it.”

I stop at the base of the stairs and look up at them. “A private family moment? In my house?” I ask, my voice echoing in the salty air.

Monica laughs, a sharp and ugly sound. “Your house? Mom rented this place from a high-end agency. You’re clearly having some kind of mental breakdown.”

I open my folder and pull out the deed and the LLC documents. “This is the deed to the property,” I say. “I am the sole owner of Stone Creek Holdings. I bought this place two years ago, and none of you have permission to be here.”

The color drains from my mother’s face. She looks at the papers in my hand and then back at the house. “That’s impossible,” she whispers. “The girl on the phone said it was available for a family representative.”

“You lied to a clerk to get a security code, Mom,” I say. “And now, the police are on their way to escort you out of my home.”