I should have realized something was wrong when my father began asking for copies of my property documents. He claimed he needed them to discuss insurance and maintenance, so I sent him what he requested. A few months later, I received a notice from the county office about an attempted transfer of ownership. Someone had submitted paperwork claiming that I had signed the villa over to Rochelle. The signature looked similar to mine, but I had never signed such a document. I immediately contacted Marcus, who discovered that my father had filed a fraudulent deed using a notary he had apparently paid in cash.

Marcus advised me not to confront my father immediately. Instead, we placed a legal hold on the title and prepared the necessary documents for the authorities. I also upgraded the villa’s security system, including cameras, automatic shutters, electronic locks, and an emergency notification system. My father knew I had installed security equipment, but he believed it was simply to protect the property while I was away. He had no idea that the system was connected to the legal restrictions on the title. Then, one evening, I received a notification that someone had entered the property without authorization. I opened the cameras and saw my father, Rochelle, Garrett, and Josephine carrying boxes into the living room.