He swallowed.
“We received confirmation at 6:15.”
“From whom?”
“Executive finance.”
“Name.”
The man looked at his tablet.
His face changed.
“Richard Sloan.”
Celeste’s jaw tightened.
Her chief financial officer.
She held out her hand.
“Tablet.”
He gave it.
Celeste read.
Then looked toward one of the lawyers.
“Mara.”
The lawyer approached.
“Already filing.”
Celeste turned back.
“No equipment moves.”
“No locks change.”
“No inventory.”
“No photographs inside the residence.”
“Everybody leaves.”
The collections manager hesitated.
“Our contract—”
Celeste’s eyes sharpened.
“You have a choice.”
“Leave voluntarily.”
“Or remain while outside counsel documents an attempted possession under a legal hold.”
He chose voluntarily.
Tow trucks backed out.
Neighbors stared.
Owen stood beside Celeste.
“Thank you.”
She looked toward the departing vehicles.
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Thank me for stopping my own company from doing something it should never have done.”
He respected that answer.
Then Ellie came outside in pajamas, clutching the unopened fuselage of the model aircraft.
Celeste turned.
Ellie looked at the tow trucks.
“Were they taking the garage?”
Owen’s heart broke.
He had wanted one more day before that question existed.
He crouched.
“Not today.”
Ellie’s eyes filled.
“What about tomorrow?”
Owen looked toward Celeste.
She did not offer a promise she could not control.
Instead she crouched too.
“Ellie.”
The girl looked at her.
“I’m going to find out why anyone tried.”
“And until I know, nobody is taking anything.”
Ellie studied her.
“Promise?”
Celeste hesitated.
Then:
“I promise I will not lie to you about what I know.”
Ellie looked toward Owen.
“That’s a weird promise.”
Owen smiled sadly.
“It’s a good one.”
Celeste stood.
Her phone rang.
Richard Sloan.
She answered.
“Where are you?”
His voice came sharp.
“At home with my family.”
“Why did you override my order?”
A pause.
“Celeste, you need to separate yourself from this borrower.”
“That was not my question.”
“I followed portfolio strategy.”
“You used executive authorization against a legal hold.”
“There was no legal hold when the overnight batch processed.”
“There was at six fifteen.”
“Collections had already deployed.”
“You reconfirmed.”
Silence.
Celeste’s eyes hardened.
“Richard.”
He sighed.
“This property is critical to Northfield.”
“There it is.”
“Of course it is.”
“Why was the loan purchased separately?”
“Because acquisition needed control.”
Owen heard.
Celeste looked at him.
Then walked several steps away.
“You manufactured default?”
“No.”
“Covenant breach existed.”