The next afternoon, Mark returned to his father's suburban mansion under bright blue skies.
He knew Evelyn was out of the house attending a board meeting in town.
He used his old key to enter through the side garage entrance without making noise.
The house was quiet, filled with the smell of expensive polish and fresh flowers.
Mark hurried upstairs to his late father's private study at the end of the long hall.
The mahogany desk sat in the center of the room, surrounded by tall glass bookcases.
Mark started opening the heavy wooden drawers one by one, looking for accounting records.
He found tax filings and property deeds, but nothing showing the secret bank transfers.
He sat down in his father's leather chair and looked closely at the desk frame.
He remembered his father showing him a hidden button beneath the right armrest years ago.
Mark reached underneath the dark wood and felt a tiny raised metal latch.
He pressed it firmly, and a small drawer popped open silently on the left side.
Inside lay a thick black leather journal filled with hand-written entries and bank numbers.
Mark opened the book and began skimming through the pages quickly with steady hands.
The entries showed millions of dollars shifted into offshore accounts controlled by Evelyn's brother.
"Searching for something, Mark?" a cold voice suddenly called out from the doorway.
Mark jumped up and turned around to see Evelyn standing there with her arms crossed.
Her face was pale with anger, and her eyes were fixed on the black notebook.
"You had no right to come into this room without my permission," Evelyn hissed loudly.
"You have been stealing from my father's estate for years, Evelyn," Mark shouted back.
"That money was meant to keep this family strong after he passed!" Evelyn snapped.
"You locked my daughter away so you could take what belonged to her!" Mark accused.
"Nobody will believe a word you say without solid evidence in court!" Evelyn laughed maliciously.
Mark held up the leather journal high so she could clearly see the pages inside.
"This is your hand-writing, Evelyn, and these are your brother's company names," Mark said.
Evelyn's eyes widened in sudden panic as she realized what he was holding.
She took a quick step forward, reaching out her hand to grab the notebook away.
Mark stepped back smartly and tucked the journal deep inside his inner jacket pocket.
"This ends today, Evelyn, we are taking this straight to the judge," Mark declared.