An elderly fair-skinned Caucasian man in a sharp black tuxedo and bow tie stared forward with an enraged, furious expression.
He pushed his way through the stunned crowd of socialites, his walking cane striking the marble floor with sharp, rhythmic taps.
Elderly Man: You should have stayed away!
Aria: I told you I would return the day the probate court reopened the inheritance files, grandfather.
Elderly Man: You were disowned and banished from this estate legally! You have no claim to a single penny of the trust fund!
Aria: A disownment executed under physical duress and forged medical records is legally void, and you know it.
Elderly Man: Security! Drag her out of my sight right now! I want her removed from the property permanently!
A low dramatic rumble and tense sub-bass pulse vibrated through the room as the private guards hesitated near the pillars.
They looked toward Richard for confirmation, but Richard was frozen in place, staring at the courtroom documents in Aria's hand.
Richard: Grandfather, don't touch her. Look at the seal on those papers—that's a federal magistrate's signature.
Elderly Man: I don't care if it's signed by the President! She is destroying our family reputation in front of the board!
Aria: The reputation was rotten to the core long before I ever stepped foot back into this grand ballroom.
Elena: (Tears welling in her eyes) Please, grandfather, stop shouting. Let her speak the truth.
Elderly Man: Silence, Elena! You brought this ungrateful girl back into our lives, and now you will pay the price.
Aria: Nobody is paying a price except the people who lied, cheated, and stole from my mother's estate.
A sharp sudden sound effect echoed across the hall as the elderly man raised his hand in a threatening gesture of pure fury.
The guests held their collective breath, waiting to see if the patriarch would resort to physical violence in front of the entire assembly.
Aria did not flinch; she stood her ground with an unyielding gaze, staring down the man who had orchestrated her banishment.
What secret is Elena hiding behind her calm facade that could stop the patriarch in his tracks?