Evelyn backed away toward the grand staircase, her hands hovering near her chest in terror.
Evelyn: You wouldn't dare ruin this family's name in public!
Clara: Try me. Imagine the headlines tomorrow morning: 'Billionaire Matriarch Attempts To Drown Secret Grandson In Golden Toilet.'
Evelyn: It would destroy the company stock!
Clara: The company will survive under new board management. You, however, will be wearing an orange jumpsuit in a state prison.
Evelyn: You are a monster...
Clara: I am a mother protecting her child from a monster. Nine minutes, Evelyn.
Evelyn turned and hurried up the stairs, her slippers slapping frantically against the steps as she rushed toward her master suite.
Clara walked over to the grand sofa in the living area, carefully placing her baby down on a warm, dry throw blanket.
She wrapped him securely, checking his face to ensure he was breathing normally and warm.
The heavy front doors of the mansion creaked open, and two men in sharp black suits stepped inside, holding leather briefcases.
The older man, gray-haired with sharp silver spectacles, stepped forward immediately.
Mr. Harrison: Mrs. Vance—or should I say, Clara. We received your emergency notification.
Clara: Thank you for coming so quickly, Mr. Harrison.
Mr. Harrison: Is the child safe?
Clara: He is now. But Evelyn tried to harm him right before you arrived.
Mr. Harrison's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he adjusted his suit jacket.
Mr. Harrison: That is a severe federal offense, especially considering the stipulations Julian put into place.
Clara: Did you bring the revocation papers for the trust board?
Mr. Harrison: Right here in my briefcase. As soon as you sign as the primary legal guardian, Evelyn's executive privileges in the corporate empire are permanently terminated.
Clara: Give me the pen.
Clara took the heavy silver pen from the lawyer, setting the documents on the marble coffee table.
With a firm, decisive stroke, she signed her name across the bottom lines of three separate legal forms.
Mr. Harrison: It's done. As of this moment, you hold absolute authority over all real estate, bank accounts, and subsidiary holdings under the Vance estate.
Clara: What about her personal allowance?
Mr. Harrison: Canceled instantly upon execution of these documents. She has no active credit lines linked to the trust.
Heavy footsteps clattered down the marble staircase as Evelyn reappeared, pulling a single rolling leather suitcase behind her.
She looked disheveled, her expensive hair pulled back in a rushed bun, her eyes red-rimmed with rage and anxiety.
Evelyn: Harrison! Thank God you're here! Tell this lunatic that she has no legal standing to evict me from my own home!
Mr. Harrison: I am afraid she has every legal standing, Evelyn. I was hired by Julian to carry out his explicit last wishes.
Evelyn: You betrayed me! I paid your firm millions over the last two decades!
Mr. Harrison: Julian was my client for the Berkshire Trust. My loyalty lies with the designated beneficiaries, which currently consists of Clara and her child.
Evelyn: This is a conspiracy! A hostile takeover of my family's legacy!
Mr. Harrison: It is a legally binding distribution of assets. Furthermore, Clara has informed me of an incident involving the child just minutes ago.
Evelyn froze on the bottom step, her grip tightening on the handle of her suitcase until her knuckles turned white.
Evelyn: It was a misunderstanding... a family argument!
Mr. Harrison: Attempting to harm an infant is not an argument, Evelyn. It is child abuse and attempted murder.
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