The Trap
A week later, over dinner, Emilia looked across the table and said casually, “I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’s time to put the house in your name, Stephanie.”
Their stunned faces melted into greedy delight. That told her everything.
That night, Emilia contacted Carlos Guzmán, a sharp real estate attorney a colleague had recommended. When she told him about her family’s scheme, he frowned. “They’re trying to defraud you,” he said firmly. “Let’s make sure they expose themselves.”
Emilia showed him secret recordings—her family openly plotting, laughing about how she’d “never suspect a thing.”
Carlos nodded. “Here’s the plan. We’ll set up a meeting in my office. But instead of a property transfer, you’ll sign a notarized declaration protecting your ownership and documenting any future manipulation as harassment. I’ll record everything.”
Emilia’s lips curved faintly. “Perfect. Let’s show them who they’re dealing with.”
Their sudden kindness over the next week was almost comical. Her father started washing dishes. Her mother baked her favorite dessert. Stephanie played the role of the loving sister. But their eyes betrayed them—the greed still glimmered underneath.
