Mason walked quietly up the narrow back staircase to his tiny bedroom.
The small room contained only a twin bed and a heavy iron trunk.
Lily followed him inside and closed the thin wooden door behind her.
Mason pulled a heavy steel key out from inside his faded collar.
He knelt beside the iron trunk and inserted the key into the lock.
The lock clicked loudly as the lid swung open on rusty hinges.
Inside the trunk sat a thick leather binder stamped with gold letters.
Lily stared in total surprise at the shiny emblem on the leather cover.
Lily: I thought you lost those original trust documents years ago.
Mason: I kept them safe until the right moment arrived.
Mason lifted the heavy binder and placed it gently on the small bed.
He turned the yellowed pages until he found the main ownership deed.
The deed clearly listed the founder of the entire Hartley business empire.
It showed that Mason Hartley had never given away his original controlling shares.
He had only pretended to step down after his beloved wife passed away.
He wanted to see if his family would stay humble and kind.
Mason: Chad and Sarah signed forged papers three months ago.
Lily: They tricked the family board into giving them full authority!
Mason: They thought I was too old to notice their secret bank transfers.
Lily's jaw dropped as she read the detailed financial ledger sheets.
Millions of dollars had been moved into private offshore bank accounts.
Chad had been stealing from the main company payroll for almost two years.
Lily: This evidence can put Chad behind bars for a long time.
Mason: He brought this sharp downfall upon his own head.
Mason pulled a sleek black smartphone out from under his simple mattress.
He dialed a private direct number that he knew by memory.
A distinguished male voice answered the telephone on the very first ring.
Mason: Robert, this is Mason Hartley speaking.
Robert: Mr. Hartley! We have been waiting for your urgent phone call.
Mason: Prepare the legal injunction for the grand courtroom tomorrow morning.
Robert: I will have the senior judge freeze all company accounts immediately.
Mason hung up the phone and looked out his small window.
Mason: Tomorrow morning, everyone will finally learn the real truth.