The three of them sat around the polished dining table covered in legal files.
Leo drank a warm glass of milk while Arthur reviewed every single page carefully.
Arthur: Where is Leo's mother right now, Mr. Sterling?
Richard: She is staying at a temporary shelter to avoid foreclosure officers.
Arthur felt a wave of anger at how his family had been treated.
Arthur: My daughter-in-law will not spend another night in a shelter.
He picked up his desk telephone and dialed his former law office senior partner.
Arthur: Marcus, this is Arthur Vance. I need a stay of execution on a foreclosure file.
The voice on the other end answered with immediate respect and quick action.
Leo looked up at his grandfather with growing hope in his young eyes.
Leo: Can you really stop those bad people from taking our home, Grandpa?
Arthur: I built my career protecting people from fake claims, Leo.
He looked at Richard Sterling, who looked increasingly uncomfortable under Arthur's gaze.
Arthur: Who represents the investment firm trying to claim David's estate?
Richard: A man named Victor Thorne. He claims to be David's former partner.
Arthur remembered that name from a major corporate lawsuit ten years ago.
Victor Thorne was a ruthless real estate developer known for predatory loans.
Arthur: Thorne tried to ruin my practice years ago, but he failed completely.
Richard: He claims David signed over the house deed two weeks before dying.
Arthur picked up the signed deed paper and held it up to the desk lamp light.
He spotted the watermarked date stamp that proved the paper was printed yesterday.
Arthur: This document was printed long after my son had already passed.
Richard gasped as he looked at the clear evidence staring back at him.
Richard: I had no idea Mr. Thorne gave me fabricated paperwork, sir!
Arthur: Then you will help me expose him in court tomorrow morning.
Leo held his grandfather's hand tightly, feeling safe for the first time in months.
Leo: Is my mom going to be okay now, Grandpa?
Arthur: She is coming here tonight, Leo. This house is your home now.
The phone rang loudly on the desk, breaking the sudden quiet in the room.