Julian gently handed the crying baby to Victoria as he slowly stood up on his feet.
His jaw was set tight with anger as he stared up at his own mother.
"How could you do something so terrible?" Julian demanded, his voice shaking with fury.
"She is an imposter taking what belongs to our legacy!" Eleanor yelled back down.
Victoria stood up slowly, wiping the tears from her red cheeks with her hand.
The initial terror inside her turned into a deep, unyielding fire of protective motherly rage.
"Say that again!" Victoria shouted back up, her voice surprisingly steady and loud.
She reached into her brown leather purse that sat resting on the foyer table.
Her trembling fingers pulled out a thick, official white envelope with a red seal.
She had received this document from the city laboratory earlier that morning in secret.
She knew Eleanor had been spreading lies about her loyalty to Julian for months.
Victoria had taken a official DNA test weeks ago to end the dark rumors forever.
She ripped open the paper envelope with a sharp tearing sound that rang out clearly.
Julian stepped closer to his wife, looking down at the official papers in her hand.
The top sheet showed the seal of the state court medical board in heavy ink.
It clearly listed Julian's name next to baby Lily's name in bold black print.
The final biological parentage match was written as ninety-nine point nine percent positive.
Victoria raised the paper high into the air so Eleanor could see the crest.
"She IS your son's daughter!" Victoria declared with absolute force and authority.
Eleanor gripped the balcony railing tighter, her knuckles turning completely white.
She tried to speak, but no words came out of her dry throat at first.
"You lied to everyone to protect your own control over the estate!" Victoria yelled.
"You wanted to turn Julian against me so you could control his inheritance!"
Julian looked up at his mother with deep sadness and disappointment in his eyes.
"Is this true, Mother?" Julian asked, his voice low and full of pain.
"Did you try to ruin my family just to keep your hands on the money?"
Eleanor scoffed again, trying to regain her regal composure high on the balcony.
"I did what was necessary for the family name!" Eleanor snapped back angrily.
"You brought a nobody into this mansion, Julian, and ruined our reputation!"
Victoria held the paper firmly, stepping right into the middle of the foyer.
"As of today, you are NO LONGER her grandmother!" Victoria shouted up clearly.
Eleanor's eyes widened in total shock and horror at those powerful, final words.
"No..." Eleanor whispered softly, stepping back from the railing in disbelief.
She realized in that instant that her long reign of control was completely over.