Money didn't make Fiona soft.
It made her dangerous.
The apartment building stood on the West Side like a stubborn old boxer—brick scarred, windows mismatched, fire escape rusted but holding. Fiona owned it outright now. Not through luck. Not through charity. Through sleepless nights, paperwork hell, and signing her name until her wrist ached.
But ownership was only the first war.
Management was the second.
The Threat Emerges
"It's not just one unit," Fiona said, pacing the hallway of her office—formerly a storage closet with a desk shoved in. "They're spreading."
Luke leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, listening.
Squatters.
Not the desperate-kind-only story the papers liked to sell. These were organized. Coordinated. Backed quietly by a predatory "tenant advocacy" group that specialized in exploiting legal gray zones. They moved in fast, claimed residency, filed injunctions, and dared landlords to bleed money in court.
Same old scam.
Different battlefield.
"They're baiting you into reacting emotionally," Luke said. "That's how they win."
Fiona scoffed. "I grew up with Frank Gallagher. Emotionally manipulating me is a competitive sport."
Luke smiled—just a little.
"Good. Then let's do this clean."
Leadership, Not Force
The System pulsed faintly.
Leadership Skill — ACTIVE
Luke didn't threaten anyone.
Didn't call cops blindly.
Didn't swing money like a club.
Instead, he organized.
First move: tenants' meeting.
The legit ones. The working families. The old lady on 3B who watered plants like they were children. The immigrant couple running a tailoring business out of their living room.
Fiona stood in front of them—not as a landlord, but as a leader.
"I'm not here to squeeze you," she said plainly. "I'm here to protect what we all live in."
She laid out the facts.
The scam.
The risks.
The plan.
Transparency was the weapon.
People listened.
People sided with her.
Divide the Narrative
Second move: paperwork warfare.
Luke helped Fiona restructure leases—airtight, legal, generous where it mattered. Rent stabilization clauses. Maintenance guarantees. Clear occupancy rules.
Every legitimate tenant was secured.
The squatters?
Suddenly isolated.
No communal cover.
No "we're all victims" angle.
Just a handful of bad actors exposed in a building that no longer tolerated them.
Controlled Pressure
Third move: lawful pressure.
Not evictions.
Inspections.
Fire safety checks.
Utility audits.
Noise violations documented by tenants themselves.
The advocacy group tried to escalate—posted online, threatened PR.
Luke countered with silence.
No statements.
No interviews.
Just compliance… and patience.
The worst thing you can do to people like that is deny them drama.
Fiona Evolves
Fiona watched it all unfold with a kind of disbelief.
She wasn't scrambling.
Wasn't begging banks.
Wasn't covering holes with her own blood anymore.
She was directing.
By week three, she was wearing tailored jackets instead of hoodies. Talking to contractors like an equal. Negotiating with city inspectors without fear.
One night, she caught her reflection in the office window.
Strong posture.
Calm eyes.
Rich-girl energy—not spoiled, not fragile.
Earned.
She laughed under her breath.
"Holy shit," she muttered. "I became one of them."
Luke heard her.
"One of the competent ones," he corrected.
The Collapse of the Plot
The squatters folded fast once the narrative turned.
No chaos.
No media storm.
No easy settlement money.
Two left voluntarily.
One tried to sue—and lost when evidence surfaced showing coordinated occupation across three buildings in the district.
The advocacy group quietly disappeared.
Predators hate sunlight.
Aftermath
On the rooftop, overlooking the city, Fiona handed Luke a beer.
He took it.
Didn't open it.
Progress.
"You didn't just save the building," Fiona said. "You saved me from turning into… old me."
Luke leaned on the railing.
"You were always capable. You just never had room to think long-term."
She nodded slowly.
"I'm not surviving anymore, am I?"
"No," Luke said. "You're building."
System Update
EVENT RESOLVED: Fiona Property War
Outcome: Investment secured
Leadership Influence: High
Collateral Damage: Minimal
Fiona Gallagher — Status: Financially Independent / Socially Ascendant
Fiona took a sip of her beer, eyes on the skyline.
"Next building," she said.
"Bigger."
Luke finally cracked his open.
"Slow down, Rockefeller."
She smirked.
"No," she said. "I finally know what I'm worth."
And for the first time in Gallagher history—
The property didn't own them.
They owned it.