Attorney Reyes
Chapter 06 - Attorney Reyes
Marcus Reyes arrived at Grace's apartment the next morning precisely on time, carrying a worn leather bag and a demeanor that immediately put her at ease, calm and thorough without a trace of performative urgency.
"Walk me through everything," he said, settling at her kitchen table, the tenant complaint documents already spread out from the night before.
Grace explained the full sequence, the public humiliation in the hallway, Diane's account of years of quiet mistreatment, and finally the documented pattern she'd found in the property management files, including the damning email exchanges suggesting explicit corporate approval.
Reyes reviewed the documents methodically, occasionally making notes, his expression growing increasingly serious as he worked through the pattern.
"This is significant," he said finally. "The volume and consistency of complaints, combined with documented corporate awareness and approval, moves this well beyond a single bad employee. This suggests a systemic pattern of tenant harassment that Ashford Property Group actively enabled."
"What does that mean for how we proceed," Grace asked.
"As the new owner, you have both the standing and the responsibility to formally investigate and address Todd's conduct," Reyes said. "I'd recommend we start by gathering formal statements from tenants willing to come forward, building a comprehensive record before taking any employment action against him."
"Diane's already agreed to give a statement," Grace said.
"Good. I'd also recommend reaching out carefully to the other tenants mentioned in the complaint history, though I want to emphasize the word carefully. Some of these tenants may still fear retaliation, given how long this pattern has apparently gone unaddressed."
Grace nodded, appreciating his caution.
"What about Todd's immediate employment," she asked. "He's still technically the building's manager right now."
"Given the severity of yesterday's public incident alone, you'd be within your rights to suspend him pending investigation," Reyes said. "I'd recommend that step immediately, both to protect tenants during the investigation and to demonstrate the seriousness with which you're treating this."
"I'll draft the suspension notice today," Grace said.
Reyes closed his notepad, studying her for a moment.
"Can I ask," he said, "what made you decide to buy this building in the first place? Most people in your position would simply move to a better apartment rather than take on ownership of the place that's been mistreating them."
Grace considered the question honestly.
"I grew up watching my mother get pushed around by landlords who knew she didn't have the resources or the confidence to fight back," she said. "I promised myself, a long time ago, that if I ever had the chance to actually change that dynamic instead of just escaping it individually, I would."
Reyes nodded slowly, something like respect crossing his expression.
"That's exactly the kind of ownership this building needed," he said. "I'll have a formal investigation framework drafted by end of week."
Once Reyes left, Grace sat alone in her kitchen for a long moment, looking around the apartment she'd lived in for years, finally feeling something she hadn't expected to feel this soon.
*Security.*
Not just financial security, though that mattered too. Something deeper. The knowledge that she now had genuine power to protect this space, and the people living in it, rather than simply hoping to survive within someone else's careless management.
May you like
*Quiet moment: Grace looking around her apartment, noticing details she'd never quite let herself appreciate before, given how uncertain her tenancy had always felt under Todd's management. The morning light through the window. The small garden view from her kitchen. All of it, finally, entirely secure.*
She pulled out her phone and drafted the suspension notice for Todd, hands steady, resolve absolute.
