For the first time, Braxton shifted uncomfortably. He handed back the ID and key card with a stiff nod. "Appreciate your cooperation, ma'am."
But Belle didn't reach for them immediately. She looked both men in the eye. "I pay rent here. I follow the rules. I haven't made a single complaint, not even about the noisy unit that throws parties on Thursdays. And still, this is what I get."
"Look," Miller started, "this isn't personal."
"It is when it keeps happening," she said.
They had no response to that. None worth saying out loud.
"We'll let you get back to your day," Braxton offered, already walking backward toward the gate.
Miller followed, glancing over his shoulder once more before the latch clicked behind them.
Only when the SUV pulled away did Belle let her shoulders drop. But the weight didn't lift. If anything, it settled deeper in her chest. The sun still blazed overhead. The children's laughter had stopped. She hadn't noticed when the family left the pool. The silence around her felt louder than it should.