Julian sat at his office desk, staring at the framed photograph of his late wife, Sarah.
Her bright smile always brought warmth to his heart, even on the hardest days.
It had been almost a year since she passed away, leaving him alone with baby Noah.
The silence in the room was suddenly broken by the sharp ringing of his cell phone.
He glanced down at the screen and saw the caller identification for the family nanny, Clara.
Julian answered immediately, sensing something was wrong by the speed of his own heartbeat.
Julian: Clara, is everything alright at home?
Clara: Sir, you need to come back to the house right now!
Julian: What happened?
Clara: Your mother-in-law, Evelyn, arrived ten minutes ago with two heavy suitcases.
Julian: She was not supposed to visit until next month.
Clara: She is shouting at the staff and threatening to change the security locks!
Julian stood up so quickly that his leather office chair rolled backward into the wall.
He grabbed his jacket and swept his car keys off the polished wooden desk.
Julian: Keep Noah safely inside the nursery, Clara.
Clara: I locked the door, but she is standing right outside in the hallway!
Julian: I am leaving the office immediately, so do not open that door for anyone.
Julian rushed out of his corner office, ignoring the confused looks from his co-workers.
He hurried toward the elevator bank, pressing the down button several times in frustration.
Evelyn had always treated him like an outsider throughout his marriage to Sarah.
She believed Julian married into her family simply to gain access to their massive fortune.
In reality, Julian built his own career while supporting Sarah through her long illness.
The elevator doors finally slid open, and he stepped inside with a deep, shaky breath.
He needed to protect his son from the toxic woman waiting at his home.
Julian sprinted through the parking garage toward his dark SUV parked near the exit.
He started the engine and pulled out into the heavy afternoon city traffic.
The drive to the suburban estate felt agonizingly long as thoughts raced through his head.
He wondered why Evelyn was taking such aggressive action so suddenly without warning.
There was a legal fight brewing over Sarah's estate, but he thought lawyers handled it.
As he turned onto the gated tree-lined drive, his hands tightened around the steering wheel.
He parked near the front steps, leaving the engine idling in his haste.
The massive front doors of the estate loomed tall under the bright afternoon sun.
Julian took one last deep breath to steady his nerves before pushing the entry door open.