Julian: "Clara, what is she blabbering about?"
Clara: "I... I don't know what she means, Mr. Vance."
Evelyn: "Oh, stop pretending! Tell him why you've been hovering around the nursery every night!"
Evelyn stood up slowly, dusting off her green silk dress. A cruel smile spread across her face as she wiped a smudge of makeup from her cheek.
Evelyn: "She isn't just the maid, Julian. Show him the paper you keep in your uniform pocket, Clara!"
Julian shifted his gaze to Clara, his eyebrows pulling together in deep confusion. Clara stepped back, her hand moving reflexively to cover her apron pocket.
Julian: "Clara? What paper?"
Clara: "It's nothing, sir. It's just personal property."
Evelyn: "It's a DNA test result from the private clinic downtown! She had it delivered two days ago!"
Julian: "Is this true?"
Clara lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as fresh tears overflowed her eyes. She slowly reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a folded piece of white paper, handing it to Julian with trembling fingers.
Clara: "I'm sorry, Mr. Vance. I never meant to cause trouble in your home."
Julian grabbed the paper with his free hand, keeping his baby safe against his chest with his other arm. He unfolded it and scanned the printed black letters across the top line.
Julian: "Parentage testing... 99.9% match? Clara, why are you listed as the biological mother?"
Evelyn: "Because I never carried that child! I paid a private doctor to fake my medical records because I didn't want to ruin my body for a baby!"
Julian: "You... what?"
Evelyn: "I hired her secretly nine months ago through an agency! I paid her to be a surrogate so you would finally give me access to the family trust fund!"
Julian stared at Evelyn in complete disbelief, his jaw tightening as the reality of her words sank into his mind.
Julian: "You lied to me for nine months? You wore fake pregnancy pillows while paying my employee to carry my child?!"
Evelyn: "You wanted an heir, Julian! I gave you one! Who cares how he got here?"
Clara: "You didn't give him anything! You promised to let me stay as his nanny so I could watch him grow up! Then yesterday you told me you were sending him away to a boarding school overseas as soon as he turned one!"
Evelyn: "Because you were getting too attached! You're just hired help!"
Clara: "He is my son! And he's Mr. Vance's son!"
Evelyn: "He's a mistake! That's why I tried to end it today! If I can't have the inheritance money without dealing with you two, then nobody gets him!"
Julian's eyes burned with cold anger. He pressed his phone screen and held it up to his ear as it began to ring.
Julian: "Hello, police? I need emergency officers at the Vance estate immediately. I have a violent trespasser who just attempted child endangerment and murder."
Evelyn: "Julian, hang up that phone! You can't ruin my reputation over this!"
Julian: "Your reputation is the last thing you'll ever worry about again."