“GPS.”

“Access logs.”

“Client credentials.”

“No deletion.”

“No overwrite.”

Eric's voice changed.

“What happened?”

“My house is being demolished by one of our teams.”

Silence.

“Your house?”

“Yes.”

“Which client?”

“Briar Ridge HOA.”

Eric started typing.

“Who authorized it?”

“That's what I want you to find out.”

A few seconds passed.

Then he asked:

“Do you want the team pulled immediately?”

I looked toward my house.

A worker was carrying another section of drywall outside.

Every instinct told me to say yes.

Instead, I watched Marianne.

She was standing beside the excavation foreman, pointing toward the eastern wall.

Giving instructions.

Three cameras were facing her.

Two guards had body cameras.

One patrol vehicle sat fifteen feet away.

“No.”

Eric stopped.

“What?”

“Do not withdraw them yet.”

“Nathan, they're destroying your home.”

“I know.”

“We can end it.”

“And then Marianne says the contractors misunderstood.”

Eric was silent.

“She'll say the security company exceeded its instructions.”

I continued.

“She'll blame the field supervisor.”

Another pause.

“Or she'll claim she never authorized entry.”

I watched Marianne point again.

“I want every instruction preserved.”

Eric exhaled.

“You are disturbingly calm.”

“No.”

I looked at the broken porch.

“I'm extremely angry.”

“Difference?”

“I'm not letting her use it.”

Eric understood.

“I'll lock the data.”

“And send a mirrored copy to outside counsel.”

“You think internal servers are compromised?”

“I don't know.”

“And?”

“Which means we act like they might be.”

“Exactly.”

Eric sighed.

“You really did investigate fraud for a living.”

“Yes.”

“Remind me never to annoy you.”

I looked at my destroyed house.

“Just don't tear out my kitchen.”

The truth was, Eric had no idea how strange the timing was.

Twenty-three days earlier, I had acquired controlling ownership of Stonehaven Security Group.

The company operated private patrols, residential gate systems, surveillance networks, access-control systems, and commercial security contracts across three states.

The numbers looked good.

The previous owner wanted out after a health crisis.

I saw an opportunity.