A generosity turned into a nightmare

Allowing my brother to stay in my ski villa was a mistake that spiraled out of control. He refused to leave for months, and when I finally served an eviction notice, he simply laughed.
He claimed family obligations protected him, but he forgot I controlled the smart home system. As sub-zero temperatures hit, I remotely disabled the heat.
I waited for a plea to turn it back on, but I got a shocking emergency alert instead.
Arriving at the mountain sanctuary

I pulled my heavy SUV into the driveway and stared up at my beautiful timber ski villa. The structure looked majestic against the snowy backdrop, but the situation inside was far from peaceful.
Lights blazed from every window, signaling that Brody was awake and wasting my electricity. I gripped the steering wheel tightly before finally turning off the ignition.
I had arrived to reclaim my property, and I wasn’t leaving until he was gone.
Marching toward the front door

I grabbed my leather bag from the passenger seat and marched toward the front door with purpose. The icy wind bit at my face, but I barely felt the cold.
I checked my pocket to ensure I had the eviction papers ready to hand over. This visit was not social, and pleasantries were off the table.
I reached the porch and prepared to enter the code, fully expecting a confrontation waiting on the other side.
Locked out of my own home

I punched my code into the keypad, but the light flashed red instead of green. I tried the combination again, ensuring every digit was correct, but the lock remained engaged.
It became clear that Brody had changed the access settings without telling me. I stood on my own front porch, locked out of the house I paid for.
My brother had decided to secure the villa against its own owner.
Banging on the solid wood door

I balled my hand into a fist and banged against the solid wood door with all my strength. The sound echoed loudly, but I didn’t stop until my knuckles started to ache.
I shouted his name, demanding he open the door immediately. After a minute of silence, I finally heard heavy footsteps approaching from the other side.
The lock clicked, and the heavy door slowly creaked open to reveal my brother.
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