Eleanor stood on the bottom step, her fingers trembling with sudden anger.
"You have always been an ungrateful child, Victoria," Eleanor sneered bitterly.
"I am protecting my father's home and my son's future," Victoria answered firmly.
Eleanor tried to snatch the stroller handle to push it toward the front exit.
"Trash like you does not belong in this grand house!" Eleanor yelled aloud.
Victoria quickly pulled the stroller backward, keeping Leo completely out of harm's way.
She held the official court document tightly in her free right hand.
The baby gave a small cry from the sudden quick movement across the marble floor.
"Stay away from my child, Eleanor!" Victoria warned with a rising voice.
"Your child will not inherit a single penny of this estate!" Eleanor shrieked back.
Victoria unfolded the crisp white paper to read the bold black text near the top.
Her eyes scanned the legal terms quickly as her breath hitched in her throat.
The document was a secret trust fund modification form drafted two weeks ago.
It attempted to transfer all estate control away from Richard into a private company account.
The listed owner of that private company was Eleanor's own brother, Arthur.
Even worse, someone had forged Henry's signature as a primary co-signer on the form.
"You used my late brother's name to steal the estate?" Victoria gasped in horror.
"Henry signed those rights over before he passed!" Eleanor lied without hesitation.
"Henry was twenty years old and in the hospital when this paper was dated!" Victoria shouted.
Eleanor lunged forward again, trying to rip the evidence into tiny pieces.
Victoria stepped aside smoothly, causing Eleanor to lose her balance on the smooth marble.
Eleanor stumbled against the heavy wooden railing of the grand staircase with a loud thud.
Her burgundy dress wrinkled as she tried to catch her breath and regain her composure.
"No judge will ever believe a word you say over me!" Eleanor spat angrily.
"The forensic handwriting analysis on this paper will prove everything," Victoria replied calmly.
Eleanor's eyes widened as she realized the massive mistake she had made.
She had assumed Victoria would never inspect the official mail so closely.
Now the entire forgery scheme was exposed right in the middle of the foyer.
The heavy front doors suddenly clicked open from the outside porch.
A tall shadow stretched across the bright marble floor toward the two women.
Richard Reiner stepped inside, carrying his heavy black leather briefcase.
His face looked tired from work, but his eyes immediately locked onto the scene.
"What is all this screaming about?" Richard asked in a booming voice.
The entire room fell into an uncomfortable, heavy silence for a brief second.
Victoria held the paper out toward her father while keeping Leo safely behind her.