My home was nonexistent, according to Mum.

“It was falling apart, Evelyn,” she said, waving her hand dismissively as she adjusted her pearl necklace. “Alexander bought the whole block. He’s renovating it completely.”

I stared at her, my jaw tightening. “What about the people living there?”

“They’ve been relocated,” she said breezily, as if it was no big deal. “Given better homes.”

Better homes. Right. Because displacing families and shoving them into some pre-selected ...