Thomas: Right away, Mr. Sterling[cite: 1].
Victoria: Don't touch me! I can walk myself out! Richard, you're making the biggest mistake of your life!
Richard: The mistake was ever letting a snake like you near my daughter[cite: 1]!
Two tall security guards stepped forward, grabbing Victoria by her metallic gold sleeves and lifting her up from the floor[cite: 1]. As she struggled against their grip, her expensive designer handbag slipped from her arm, falling flat onto the marble and spilling its contents across the hallway[cite: 1]. Alongside her lipstick and compact mirror were several folded legal documents bearing official state seals[cite: 1].
Clara: Mr. Sterling, look at those papers[cite: 1].
Richard leaned down, picking up the heavy parchment files that had scattered near his shoe[cite: 1]. His eyes scanned the header text at the top of the first page, his expression darkening even further[cite: 1].
Richard: "Petition for Emergency Guardianship and Financial Conservatorship"... What is this, Victoria?
Victoria: That's... those are private personal notes! Give them back to me!
Richard: You drafted legal documents to declare me mentally unfit and claim emergency custody of Lily's trust fund?!
The party guests gasped once more, whispering in disgust as the full extent of Victoria's scheme was laid bare[cite: 1]. She hadn't just wanted to get rid of the child—she had been planning to gain legal control over the Sterling estate's multi-million-dollar inheritance[cite: 1].
Richard: You weren't just trying to send Lily to boarding school[cite: 1]. You were setting up a paper trail to prove she was mentally unstable so you could seize her mother's estate trust[cite: 1]!
Victoria: It's not what it looks like! My lawyer said we needed options in case of an emergency!
Richard: You breaking my mother's vase and blaming Lily was the "incident" you needed to file these papers tomorrow morning, wasn't it[cite: 1]?
Victoria remained silent, her lip trembling as she realized there was no escape left[cite: 1]. The video recording, the broken porcelain, and the legal papers created an ironclad chain of evidence that no lawyer could fix[cite: 1].
Richard: Thomas, call the precinct[cite: 1]. Hand these documents directly to the police along with the teddy bear security footage. I want her charged with grand larceny, attempted fraud, and child endangerment[cite: 1].
Thomas: Yes, sir. Move along, ma'am[cite: 1].
The security guards marched Victoria out through the grand front doors, her high heels clicking loudly until the heavy doors slammed shut behind her, cutting off her shrill cries permanently[cite: 1].