Page 57 of Never Been Gargoyled
“I don’t want to open it,” I said.
“I don’t blame you.” Feydin's voice was grim.
I tore open the envelope and pulled out the papers inside. The letterhead made my heart sink:Bland, Kingsley & Franks, LLP.
“Rebecca's lawyers,” I whispered.
“Yup.”
I skimmed the first page, the legal language making my head spin. But certain phrases jumped out at me:temporary restraining order,cease and desist,property modifications.
“They want me to stop all work on the estate,” I said, my voice hollow. “No more renovations, no more garden work, nothing until the court makes a decision.”
Feydin took the papers from me, his jaw tight as he read. “This is too much. It’s harassment. They're trying to intimidate you into giving up.”
“Is it legal?”
“Probably. But it's also aggressive. They're not confident in their case if they're resorting to tactics like this.”
I slumped against the door. “Should I stop working on the place I might lose anyway?”
“No,” Feydin said firmly. “We fight this. And we find those letters.”
His determination was infectious. Looking at him now, his hair still messed from our encounter in the library, and his eyes fierce, I realized something that should have terrified me.
I was falling in love with him.
Not just attracted to him or grateful for his help. Actually, completely falling in love with my grumpy gargoyle lawyer who made me flower baths and defended my dreams like they were his own.
“Okay,” I said. “We fight.”
“Together,” he said.
“Together.”
For the first time since this whole mess started, I believed we might actually win.
Chapter 21
Feydin
Iwatched Dazy lean against the door, her shoulders sagging as she stared at the legal papers in her hands. Every instinct I had screamed at me to do something, anything, to take that defeated look off her face.
“So what does this mean exactly?” she asked, holding up the cease-and-desist order. “Do I have to stop working on the estate or move out?”
“No.” I took the papers from her and read through them again more carefully. “This is just a strongly worded letter from Rebecca's lawyers. It's not legally binding.”
Her head snapped up. “It's not?”
“Think of it as a threat. They're hoping to intimidate you into compliance, but they have no legal authority to stop you from working on your own property.”
“But it sounds so official. All the language about restraining orders and court orders.”
“Because they want it to sound intimidating.” I set the papers on the hall table. “For this to have any legal weight, they'd need to file a motion with the court and get a judge to issue an actual temporary restraining order. That takes time and effort, and they'd have to prove you're causing irreparable harm to the property.”
“Could anyone say I’m causing irreparable harm by restoring the gardens?”
“Hardly. If anything, you're increasing the property value.” I studied her face, trying to read her mood. She looked less panicked now, but still worried. “They're fishing, Dazy. Trying to see if you'll roll over without a fight.”
