Marcus stood in the center of the grand entryway with his small son wrapped tightly in his arms.
The toddler sobbed softly against his shoulder while the huge mansion remained completely silent.
Victoria glared down at them from the top landing of the grand curved staircase.
Her expensive burgundy silk dress rustled softly as she took a sharp step toward the railing.
She had just tossed the baby carrier down the carpeted stairs in a fit of rage.
Fortunately, Marcus had burst through the front entrance in time to catch the basket safely.
His heart was still pounding wildly against his ribs as he adjusted his grip on little Noah.
Marcus: Have you completely lost your mind, Victoria?
Victoria: I am clearing this house of trash before the evening dinner party begins.
Marcus: You are talking about a helpless child who has done nothing to you.
Victoria: That boy is an intruder who does not belong in this family line.
Marcus felt a cold anger settle deep inside his chest as he looked at his wife.
They had been married for three years, but her cruelty had grown worse every single month.
When Noah's biological mother passed away six months ago, Marcus took the boy into his home.
Victoria had fought the decision every single day because she feared for her own luxury inheritance.
She wanted every cent of the family estate reserved exclusively for her own biological children.
Victoria: My friends are arriving in less than an hour for the charity gala.
Victoria: I will not have my reputation ruined by your secret love child.
Marcus: This child is my responsibility, whether it hurts your social standing or not.
Victoria: He has no legal right to stay inside this mansion for another minute.
Marcus slowly set the crying child down onto the plush sofa near the front doors.
He pulled a sealed white envelope out from the inside pocket of his dark suit jacket.
The official seal of the state lab was stamped clearly across the front of the folder.
He walked toward the bottom of the stairs and slapped the paper hard against the wooden railing.
Marcus: You spent months telling everyone in town that I was being fooled by an outsider.
Marcus: You told the board of directors that I was spending trust fund money on a stranger.
Victoria: Because it is the absolute truth and everyone knows it!
Marcus: Pick up this envelope and read the name printed on the summary sheet.
Victoria paused on the top step, her painted fingernails digging deep into the polished mahogany railing.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the white paper resting on the marble step.
She had paid private investigators thousands of dollars to prove the child belonged to someone else.
She was entirely convinced that the paperwork in Marcus's hands was nothing more than a desperate fake.
Victoria: You cannot fool me with a printed letter from some cheap neighborhood clinic.
Marcus: This test came directly from the state court medical officer this afternoon.
Marcus: Walk down these steps right now and read the results with your own eyes.
Victoria smoothed down her silk dress and began walking down the stairs with a cold sneer.