When I opened the door to the mountain lodge I had spent years earning, my sister was standing beside my fireplace with a champagne glass raised, welcoming two dozen people to “her new Christmas place.” My mother saw me first. She didn’t look surprised that Olivia was lying. She looked worried that I had arrived in time to hear it.

A scream shattered the silence.

Olivia came barreling out of the master bedroom, her cashmere dress rumpled, her eyes wide with shock.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she shrieked, marching straight toward Deputy Vance. "Who authorized this? Jason, tell him who we are! We own this property! We filed the paperwork!"

"You filed nothing in Ouray County, Mrs. Miller," Vance said, his voice flat and unyielding. "And the sole managing officer of Hart Alpine Holdings is standing right behind me."

Olivia’s gaze snapped to me. The hatred in her eyes was pure, unadulterated venom.

"Becca! Have you lost your goddamn mind?!" she screamed, her voice cracking as the Boulder influencers pulled out their phones, completely unsure of whether they should be recording this for content or fleeing. "You brought the police to my house?! To Mom’s house?!"

"It’s not Mom’s house, Olivia," I said, stepping forward.

I looked at Aunt Carol, whose face had drained of all color. I looked at Cousin Michael, who was frantically pulling his shoes on.

"Aunt Carol," I said clearly. "Olivia lied to you. Jason lied to you. They don't own a single square inch of this property. They broke into my safe, took my father's documents, and are attempting to commit real estate fraud to cover up the fact that Jason’s tech company is insolvent."

"That is slander!" Jason yelled, lunging toward me, his face purple with rage. "You miserable bitch, I'll sue you into the stone age!"

He didn't make it two steps.

Wyatt stepped into his path. Wyatt didn't draw a weapon. He didn't even raise his fists. He simply stood there, six-foot-two of mountain-hardened muscle, looking down at Jason like he was a stray dog barking at a freight train.

"Take one more step toward her, Miller," Wyatt said, his voice a low, terrifying rumble, "and I won't wait for Marcus to arrest you."

Jason froze. He looked at Wyatt's broad shoulders, looked at the cold, unimpressed gaze of Deputy Vance, and took a step back.

"Officer, this is a civil matter!" Jason sputtered, his voice turning desperate. "We have an equitable interest! We have financial capital invested in this event! The pass is closed! You can't force these people out onto Red Mountain Pass in a blizzard! It’s reckless endangerment!"

Deputy Vance looked around the room.

"The pass is closed to through traffic," Vance stated. "The road down to Ouray is open to local traffic with four-wheel drive and chains. If any of your vehicles are not equipped with snow chains, you will leave them here and Wyatt will shuttle you to the Beaumont Hotel in town. But you will not spend another night under this roof."

"Mom!" Olivia wailed, turning toward the kitchen. "Mom, do something!"

Diane stepped out of the shadows. She looked frail, completely shattered, the reality of the public humiliation finally crashing down on her.

"Rebecca," Diane whispered, tears streaming down her perfectly applied makeup. "Please. For the love of God. Think about our family. What will people say? If you do this, your sister’s life is ruined. Jason’s investors are here tonight! If they find out... if this gets out..."

"Then he shouldn't have lied to them, Mom," I said, my voice steady, cold, and entirely devoid of the guilt she had weaponized against me my entire life. "You chose her. You chose her when she stole my savings in college. You chose her when she wrecked Dad’s truck and let him pay the deductible out of his pension. You chose her every single day of my life. But you do not get to give her my home."

"Becca, please!" Aunt Carol cried out, stepping forward, her hands clasped. "We didn't know! Olivia told us she bought it! She told us you were helping her decorate!"