I'm Just the Tenant… Who Owns the Bay의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

“Ms. Bennett, don't you think it's a waste for one person to live on such a huge private island?"I had just finished pressing a black poplar leaf into my specimen book when my phone began buzzing nonstop. In the Emerald Bay residents' group chat, a woman with a white poodle as her profile picture had tagged me. Her name was Monica Sullivan, the wife of the property management company's CEO. "My daughter's getting married next month, and she absolutely loves the glass greenhouse on your island. We're not asking to use it for free—we'll pay you 2,000 dollars for the venue," she wrote. "Just hand the keys over to the property management office. We'll have the wedding planners go in and take care of everything. "Don't worry. Your plants won't be touched."I stared at the screen, confused. 2,000 dollars?My island had never been part of Emerald Bay's original development. Along with its underground, climate-controlled storage facility and glass greenhouse, it had been carved

I ended up making my way down through the emergency stairwell.The door had been chained shut from the outside. I kicked it six times before it finally gave way. My ankle was throbbing by then, but I barely noticed. A cleaning lady passing by stopped in her tracks and stared at me in shock. "Ms. Bennett… Why are you coming out of here?""Who locked the door?" She avoided my eyes. "I don't know. Mr. Hayes said there was an inspection today." "An inspection that requires locking the owner inside?" Her lips parted, but no words came out. I stopped asking. By the time I reached the lake, a bright red carpet had already been rolled across the bridge. The color was almost painfully vivid. Two wedding planners were hauling a massive artificial flower arch toward the island. I walked toward them, only to be stopped by a security guard."Ms. Bennett, this is a restricted area. Please stay back." I looked at his name tag. "You're Daniel Brooks?" He froze. "Yes." "Do you

Monica was still clutching her phone, her fingers trembling uncontrollably."Edward, are you sure about that? She's just a resident here."The man on the other end practically shouted. "She's Cecilia Bennett! The Cecilia Bennett from Skylark Holdings! Have you ever read the news?"Monica bit her lip. "But she never said anything."I handed the specimen box to Marcus."Do I need to report my assets to you?"Monica's face flushed red. "Don't get so smug. Even if you're rich, you can't just accuse people of whatever you want. Whether Lakeview Isle is private property is for the court to decide."Marcus adjusted his glasses."Mrs. Prescott, the property deed, survey maps, and land division agreement are all here. If you have any doubts, we welcome a court-ordered appraisal."Victor finally managed a strained smile. "Ms. Bennett, this may have all been a misunderstanding. Mrs. Prescott was simply organizing a community event, and the property management company was only trying to a

Edward's face went pale, as if he had just seen a ghost. "Ms. Bennett, the maintenance fund issue is complicated. You can't judge it based on the surface figures alone."Marcus' voice was cold. "Mr. Prescott, you don't own any of the companies involved, but Kingsley Engineering—80% owned by your brother-in-law—handled 27 Emerald Bay contracts over the past five years, including elevator maintenance, exterior cleaning, and lakeside landscaping."Victor lowered his head and quietly took half a step back, trying to disappear into the crowd.Edward immediately pointed at him. "The property management company handled all of that! I only signed off on it."Victor looked up sharply. "Mr. Prescott, that's not what happened. Every time, you instructed us to use Kingsley Engineering for the bids." "You're lying!""I have the chat records." Monica broke down. "Stop fighting! Lily still has a wedding to plan!" I almost laughed in disbelief. The ground was covered in shattered specim

The day Lakeview Isle was sealed off, a drizzle fell. The new security gates had been installed, and the broken glass in the greenhouse had been cleared away.But the space left behind was painfully obvious. Macus stood beside me, staring at what remained. "The restoration team is here. We also reached out to Prof. Bennett's former research partners. They're willing to help salvage whatever specimens remain." I nodded. "Save whatever they can."Marcus then reported, "The Prescott family has already paid the first installment. Edward has been formally investigated, and Victor implicated the property management company's finance director. Monica posted a public apology, and Lily has quit social media." I said nothing. Marcus hesitated. "Some residents want to organize a group apology. They asked if you'd attend." "No.""They want to apologize to you in person." I looked out at the lake. "Yesterday, they wanted to watch the wedding in person. Today, they want to ap