Arthur picked up the heavy gold watch, feeling the cold weight of the antique metal against his palm.
His fingers trembled as he pressed the small side catch to open the locket frame.
Inside the lid sat a faded photograph of two young boys standing beside an old lake house in Maine.
Arthur recognized his own childhood face on the left, next to his missing brother, Thomas Vance.
Ten years earlier, Thomas had been the sole heir to their grandfather's massive estate and trust fund.
Then one stormy night after a bitter fight with their stepfather, Thomas disappeared without leaving a single trace behind.
The police found his abandoned car near the river, and the family eventually presumed he had drowned.
Now, this small child was standing in a luxury hotel holding the key to a decade-old mystery.
Arthur: Where did you get this locket?
Arthur: Tell me your name, son.
Leo: My name is Leo.
Leo: My mom gave it to me this morning.
Arthur: What is your mother's name, Leo?
Leo: Her name is Clara.
Leo: She said this belonged to my real father.
Arthur stood up slowly, his mind racing as he stared down at the small boy standing in the doorway.
Clara had been Thomas's college sweetheart, a kind girl from a working-class family near the town docks.
Arthur remembered how their cold stepfather had banned Clara from visiting their family estate back then.
Their stepfather, Richard Sterling, had insisted that Thomas marry a wealthy heiress to consolidate corporate power.
When Thomas refused to abandon Clara, the arguments in the family house had grown increasingly hostile.
Shortly after Thomas disappeared, Clara had also left town, vanishing from everyone's life completely.
Arthur looked around the bustling ballroom and noticed his stepfather, Richard, watching the door from afar.
Richard was holding a drink with a tight grip, his brows furrowed in anger as he stared at the child.
Arthur turned back to Leo and placed a warm hand on the boy's small, trembling shoulder.
Arthur: Where is your mother right now, Leo?
Leo: She is at the small clinic down by the old harbor.
Leo: Some bad men came to our apartment today.
Arthur: Bad men?
Arthur: What did they do, Leo?
Leo: They threw our things on the street.
Leo: They said we had to sign a paper about the house.
Arthur felt a sharp surge of anger rising inside his chest as he pieced the words together.
He wrapped his warm suit jacket around the shivering boy to shield him from the chilly room breeze.
Arthur: Come with me, Leo.
Arthur: Nobody is going to hurt you or your mom ever again.