Arthur grabbed his mother's silver purse from the chair and threw it toward the hallway.
Evelyn gasped in disbelief, accusing him of losing his mind over a simple mistake.
She insisted that a little hard work never hurt anyone in this family before.
Arthur reminded her of the emotional abuse she had inflicted on him during his childhood.
He revealed to the remaining lingering guests that Evelyn was deep in personal financial debt.
She was using Arthur's home and his family to fool her partners into granting loans.
The few guests left in the foyer whispered nervously to each other upon hearing this.
Evelyn's face turned pale as her carefully constructed mask of wealth completely crumbled away.
She raised her hand to strike Arthur across the face to quiet him down.
Arthur caught her wrist firmly in mid-air, holding it steady without hurting her hand.
He told her that her power over him had officially ended the moment she hurt Leo.
Sarah stepped forward, holding a cool damp cloth over Leo's red and swollen palms.
She looked Evelyn straight in the eye, telling her that she was no longer welcome.
Evelyn tried to step closer to argue, but Arthur firmly blocked her path again.
When she tried to push past him angrily, Arthur shoved her away defensively.
Evelyn lost her footing on the slick hardwood floor and landed flat on her back.
She let out a sharp gasp, staring up at her son in absolute shock.
The room fell completely silent except for the heavy breathing of Arthur and Sarah.
Evelyn realized for the first time in her life that she had zero control.
She slowly gathered her broken pride, struggling to stand back up on her feet.
Her sharp gaze met Arthur's unbreakable shield of absolute parental love and fierce protection.