Margarethe: "Mr. Vance... please, let us explain! It was just a silly family argument!"[cite: 1]
Marcus: "A family argument? My daughter has visible scratches on her face, and her dress is torn to pieces!"[cite: 1]
Brandon: "Mr. Vance, sir, I am Brandon, your son-in-law! I swear I didn't know Vivian was your daughter!"
Marcus: "So if she were just an ordinary woman with no powerful family, it would have been acceptable to abuse her like this?"
Brandon: "No! Of course not! I was just confused! My mother told me—"
Marcus: "You are a spineless coward, Brandon. You stood by and let these vultures attack your pregnant wife."[cite: 1]
Marcus raised his hand, and his head of legal counsel, a sharp-looking woman carrying a brown leather briefcase, stepped forward onto the white marble floor[cite: 1].
Lawyer: "Mr. Vance, the foreclosure papers for the Sterling Mansion Estate are ready for execution, as well as the emergency custody protective order."
Marcus: "Serve them immediately."
The lawyer pulled two thick stacks of legal documents from her briefcase and dropped them directly onto the floor in front of Margarethe and Brandon[cite: 1]. They slid across the polished marble, coming to a stop right next to Vivian's scattered purse items[cite: 1].
Margarethe: "Foreclosure papers?! You can't foreclose on our house! We've lived there for twenty years!"
Lawyer: "Your family defaulted on a four-million-dollar balloon payment three weeks ago, Mrs. Sterling. Vance Global bought your mortgage debt from the primary lender yesterday morning. You have exactly two hours to vacate the premises."
Brandon: "Two hours?! Where are we supposed to go?!"
Marcus: "That is no longer my concern, Brandon. But I suggest you find a good divorce lawyer, because my team is filing for immediate annulment on the grounds of fraud, physical endangerment, and emotional cruelty."
Brandon: "Vivian, please! Don't do this to me! Think about our baby! Our child needs a father!"
Vivian: "My child needs a father who protects them, Brandon. Not a coward who lets his mother assault their pregnant wife."[cite: 1]
Chloe: "What about my wedding reception?! We paid thirty thousand dollars for this ballroom!"
Lawyer: "Actually, Miss Sterling, the check your mother wrote to the venue bounced an hour ago. The police are currently outside waiting to question you both regarding check fraud."
Margarethe let out a dramatic gasp and collapsed onto her knees right beside the scattered documents on the marble floor[cite: 1]. She grabbed the hem of Vivian's torn dress, weeping hysterically[cite: 1].
Margarethe: "Vivian, please! Have mercy on us! We'll do anything! We'll apologize publicly! Just don't ruin our lives!"[cite: 1]
Vivian pulled her dress gently out of Margarethe's grip, her expression cold and completely detached[cite: 1].
Vivian: "You ruined your own lives the moment you decided to treat love like a business deal."