All 96 contracts showing that buyers had paid between $450,000 and $530,000 for homes built on disputed land.
The blog's headline: "Luxury Developer Sold Homes on Stolen Property. Buyers May Lose Everything."
My phone exploded.
Emails from panicked homeowners.
A woman named Sarah Chen called me crying. She'd used her entire life savings for the down payment on house number 67.
And now her title insurance company was refusing to cover the claim because of the fraud allegations.
"Mr. Flint, please. I have two kids. We moved here from California. This is supposed to be our forever home."
I didn't know what to say.
"I'm not trying to take your house. I'm trying to stop the people who stole from both of us."
"But what happens if you win? Do we get evicted?"
"No. You'll own your home. The developer will pay for it. And if they can't..."
I had no answer for that.
That night, Lydia called with news.
"Channel 9 wants to interview you. Patricia Hughes, the investigative reporter. She's doing a segment on predatory land developers. It airs February 2nd, one week before trial."
"What do I say?"
"The truth. That you're fighting for your grandfather's legacy. That you're not the enemy. The Whitmores are. And that every family in Ridgeline Heights deserves to keep their home."
I thought about Sarah Chen's voice breaking on the phone.
"Set it up," I said.
The Channel 9 interview was scheduled for January 30th at my house.
Patricia Hughes arrived at 2 p.m. with a cameraman named Steve and enough lighting equipment to film a Marvel movie.
Patricia was mid-40s, gray-streaked hair in a practical ponytail, wearing jeans and a blazer that said, "I'm professional, but I've climbed through dumpsters for a story."
She shook my hand.
"Mr. Flint, I've been covering real estate fraud for 12 years. Your case is the most brazen thing I've ever seen."
We sat in my living room, which I'd frantically cleaned that morning, shoving dirty laundry into closets like a teenager before prom.
Steve positioned lights while Patricia reviewed her notes.
"I'm going to ask about your grandfather, the property, and what happened when you discovered the development. Just talk to me, not the camera. We'll edit later."
The interview lasted 90 minutes.
I told her everything.
Grandpa's ledgers, Cassandra's contempt, the Facebook smear campaign, Preston's email, the families caught in the middle.
Patricia's questions were sharp but fair. She made me feel like I was talking to a friend, not performing for an audience.
At the end, she turned off the camera.
"Off the record, I contacted Cassandra Whitmore for comment. She threatened to sue me for defamation if we air this."
"Will you still run it?"
Patricia smiled.
"Absolutely. Threats mean I'm onto something."
The segment aired February 2nd at 6:00 p.m.
I watched it alone in my living room with a beer I was too nervous to drink.
Patricia's voice-over began.
"He inherited the American dream, 47 acres of Colorado forest. But when Dakota Flint visited his land for the first time in three years, he found a nightmare instead."