Late that evening, a heavy thunderstorm rolled across the valley, darkening the mansion halls.
Julian walked softly down the second-floor hallway while keeping his footsteps completely quiet.
He knew Victoria had left the mansion earlier to attend a dinner with her personal attorneys.
This was his only chance to check his father's locked study without causing a scene.
He reached the heavy oak door of the study and looked at the electronic keypad lock.
Julian remembered a combination of numbers his father always used for important personal items.
He carefully typed in his mother's birth date on the small glowing numerical keypad.
The electronic lock beeped softly twice, and the green indicator light flashed open instantly.
Julian pushed the heavy oak door open gently and stepped into the dark room.
The smell of old books and leather reminded him intensely of his late father.
He quickly walked behind the large mahogany desk and opened the deep bottom drawer.
Behind a stack of financial reports, Julian found a small silver key hidden beneath paper clips.
He knew that key belonged to the antique wall safe hidden behind the framed painting.
Julian moved the canvas aside and slid the key into the small keyhole slot.
The steel safe door opened quietly, revealing several thick folders wrapped in blue ribbons.
He pulled out the top folder and flipped through the pages under his small flashlight beam.
It was a copy of Arthur's original estate trust, signed two years before his death.
According to this document, seventy percent of the business assets belonged strictly to Julian.
Julian turned to the next document and gasped when he saw the clear signatures.
There was a second legal document tucked inside the back of the blue folder.
It was a recent medical evaluation report signed by Arthur's long-time personal physician.
The report stated clearly that Arthur was of completely sound mind until his final days.
However, stapled behind it was a draft of an altered will favoriting Victoria entirely.
The signature on the new draft looked shaky, unnatural, and clearly forged by hand.
Julian: She tried to rewrite everything without my father's consent.
He pulled out his smartphone to capture clear photograph images of every single document page.
Suddenly, the bright hallway lights outside the study flickered and turned on completely.
Julian froze instantly as he heard high heels clicking rapidly along the wooden floorboards.