Eleanor: What biological rights?! My son is the sole living heir of the Sterling family!
Victoria: Your son was stripped of his heir status six years ago when your late husband discovered he wasn't his biological child.
The entire ballroom went dead silent. The faint hum of the air conditioner echoed like thunder against the high marble walls. Julian froze on the floor, his mouth opening and closing in utter shock.
Julian: What... what did you just say?!
Eleanor: That is a slanderous lie! Julian is a Sterling! He carries his father's blood!
Victoria: Turn to page six of the court binder, Eleanor. Read the DNA verification report conducted by St. Jude's Hospital in 2020.
Eleanor snatched the binder from Victoria's hands, her fingers trembling so violently that the heavy paper rustled loudly in the silent room. Her eyes scanned down the red-stamped lines of the medical document, and within three seconds, every drop of color drained from her face.
Eleanor: No... no! Arthur forged this! He paid the doctor to write this!
Arthur: The DNA test was authorized by your own late husband, Eleanor. He found out about your affair with his former business partner thirty years ago.
Julian: Mother... tell me he's lying! Tell me I'm my father's son!
Eleanor: Julian... I... I did it to protect our place in the family trust!
Julian: You lied to me my whole life?! You let me think I was the heir to Sterling Global?!
Julian dropped his head into his hands on the cold marble, weeping hysterically as his entire world shattered in front of two hundred wealthy guests.
Victoria: And do you know who the actual biological grandchild of the late CEO Sterling is, Eleanor?
Victoria gently patted five-year-old Lily's back as the little girl rested her head on her mother's velvet shoulder.
Victoria: My daughter, Lily Vance Sterling. Born from my marriage to your late stepson, Charles.
Eleanor: Charles died in the mountain crash six years ago!
Victoria: Charles died, Eleanor. But his daughter lives. And she holds one hundred percent of the biological inheritance rights to this entire estate.