The morning light poured through the tall glass windows of the Reiner estate.
Victoria stood near the polished wood table holding her infant son, Leo, close to her chest.
The mansion had always felt cold and empty despite its massive rooms and expensive gold furnishings.
Her father, Richard Reiner, had built a vast fortune in corporate real estate over forty years.
After Victoria's mother passed away, Richard remarried a younger woman named Eleanor.
Eleanor acted polite and gentle whenever Richard was in the room.
However, the moment Richard left for work, Eleanor turned harsh and cold toward Victoria.
Victoria adjusted the blue cotton blanket wrapping her quiet baby boy.
She knew that Eleanor saw tiny Leo as a threat to her eventual inheritance.
If Richard left his estate to Victoria and his grandson, Eleanor would get very little.
The heavy front doors clicked open as the mail carrier delivered the morning legal correspondence.
Victoria walked toward the foyer to collect the urgent envelopes marked for her father.
Eleanor appeared at the top of the grand stairs, wearing an elegant burgundy dress.
Her dark eyes flared with visible anger as she watched Victoria take the mail.
"Leave those papers on the table, Victoria," Eleanor snapped from the landing.
"These are personal business documents for my father," Victoria replied calmly.
"I manage this household, so you will hand them to me," Eleanor demanded.
Victoria held the envelopes tightly while keeping her baby safe in her arm.
She noticed one particular envelope bearing the official stamp of the city probate court.
It was addressed directly to Henry Reiner, Victoria's late brother who passed away years ago.
Victoria felt a sudden pang of deep confusion and concern in her heart.
Why would recent court papers arrive under her deceased brother's name?
Eleanor descended the carpeted stairs quickly, her red heels clicking loudly against the wood.
Her face was pale, and her breathing sounded heavy and rushed.
"Give me that envelope right now, Victoria!" Eleanor ordered loudly.
"Why is Henry's name on a new legal document?" Victoria asked quietly.
"That is none of your business, girl!" Eleanor shouted in a sharp voice.
Eleanor reached out aggressively, trying to grab the paper out of Victoria's hand.
Victoria took two steps backward to shield little Leo from the sudden commotion.
The tension in the bright foyer grew thicker with every passing second.
Victoria looked down at the paper, then back up into Eleanor's panicked eyes.
She realized at that moment that her stepmother was hiding something massive.
The peaceful morning in the Reiner estate had officially come to an end.