Within twenty minutes, red and blue lights flashed outside the front estate gates.
Two Dallas police officers walked into the foyer with notebooks ready in hand.
Clara sat on the couch while a paramedic checked her wrist and neck.
Julian pointed the lead officer toward the hidden camera near the entrance vent.
Officer Davis: Are you saying the attack was caught on camera, son?
Julian: Yes, sir, every angle of that balcony is recorded on a server.
Victoria: That is complete nonsense officer!
Victoria walked down the staircase dressed in a fresh coat, carrying a handbag.
She smiled at the officers as if she were greeting guests at a party.
Victoria: My stepdaughter suffered a dizzy spell and stumbled over the balcony railing.
Victoria: This young man is just her personal driver making wild claims.
Clara: He is the manager of father's logistics company, not a driver!
Officer Davis: Ma'am, we need everyone to stay calm while we check the video feed.
Victoria's smile twitched slightly, but she quickly masked her growing fear.
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a stack of legal documents.
Victoria: These documents prove I am the sole executor of the estate.
Victoria: Clara has no legal right to be on this property today.
Julian: Those paper documents were replaced by a new trust fund last month.
Julian reached into his leather jacket pocket and pulled out a flash drive.
Julian: Mr. Sterling gave me a digital copy of his revised Texas will.
Julian: He left seventy percent of the family business directly to Clara.
Victoria's face turned completely white as she stared at the little flash drive.
She stepped back toward the staircase, her expensive handbag slipping slightly.
Victoria: That drive is a fake created by a rogue employee!
Officer Davis: We will let the probate court judge decide what is valid, ma'am.
Officer Davis: Right now, we need to inspect the security server in the office.
Clara led Officer Davis down the bright hallway toward her father's study.
Victoria followed closely behind with the second officer standing right near her.
The study was filled with dusty leather books and framed American flags.
Julian inserted the master security key into the desk computer terminal.
The screen lit up instantly, displaying four distinct camera feeds from the foyer.
Officer Davis leaned closer to the monitor as Julian pressed the play button.
The video clearly showed Victoria reaching for Clara's neck with the scissors.
It showed the exact moment she shoved the box into Clara's chest.
The frame capture showed Clara falling over the wooden balcony railing backward.
It also recorded the sharp scissor snap sound through the clear room microphone.
Officer Davis: That is all the proof we need right here.
Victoria turned around quickly and tried to rush out of the study door.
The second officer stepped into her path and grabbed her wrists firmly.
Officer Davis: Victoria Sterling, you are under arrest for attempted assault.