Grandmother Beatrice: "David, pull up the live security feed on the ballroom main screens right now."
Head Security David: "Already pulling it up, Mrs. Sterling."
The large projector screens at the front of the ballroom flickered to life. The entire crowd turned their attention toward the monitors as high-definition video footage began playing in real time.
Guest 1: "Look at the screen... that's from five minutes ago!"
Guest 2: "Zooming in on Evelyn's hands... oh my goodness."
The video clearly showed Evelyn walking beside Lily. In full 4K detail, the camera captured his fingers dipping into his own jacket pocket, pulling out the black velvet box, and sliding it into the little girl's dress pocket. The screen then showed him sharply yanking Lily's arm to trip her onto the marble floor.
Crowd: Massive gasps and murmurs of outrage fill the hall.
Guest 1: "He framed a little girl! That is despicable!"
Guest 2: "He intentionally hurt his own niece just to win a board vote!"
Clara: "Do you care to explain that to the board, Evelyn?"
Evelyn scrambled to his hands and knees on the checkered floor, looking frantically around the room at the disgusted faces of the Dallas elites who had supported him moments ago.
Evelyn: "Mother... listen to me! I did it for the family! Clara was going to take Thomas's shares out of the company!"
Grandmother Beatrice: "Thomas's shares belong to his widow and his daughter! You lied to me for two years, Evelyn!"
Evelyn: "She doesn't deserve the estate! She wasn't born a Sterling!"
Clara: "I was married to Thomas for ten years. I helped him build the foundation that funds this very mansion."
Evelyn: "You're nothing! You're a gold-digger!"
Grandmother Beatrice: "Enough of your venom, Evelyn!"
Grandmother Beatrice turned to the head of security, her voice trembling with righteous anger.
Grandmother Beatrice: "David, escort my son out of this house immediately."
Evelyn: "Mother, no! You can't throw me out! I am the head of Sterling Logistics!"
Grandmother Beatrice: "Not anymore. As of this moment, your executive powers are suspended, and I am calling a full forensic audit of your division."
Clara: "And while you're auditing him, Beatrice, you might want to check the offshore bank accounts in Nassau."
Evelyn snapped his head toward Clara, his eyes filled with pure terror.
Evelyn: "How do you know about Nassau?!"
Clara: "Because Thomas left me the forensic accounting records before he passed away. I've just been waiting for the right moment to present them to the federal prosecutors."
Two security guards grabbed Evelyn by his arms, hauling him up from the marble floor as he began to panic violently.