The three of them walked downstairs in heavy, suffocating silence. Richard led the way into his private home office, holding Leo securely in his left arm while carrying the red USB drive in his right hand. The room was lined with dark mahogany bookshelves, high-end art pieces, and a massive marble countertop along the back wall.
Richard: Sit down, Chloe.
Chloe: Richard, this is absurd! You’re acting like a paranoid lunatic over a cheap plastic drive!
Richard: I asked you to sit down!
Chloe huffed loudly, smoothing out her gold satin dress as she sat on the edge of a leather armchair, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Richard: Sarah, stay near the door with Leo. If she tries to move, call security immediately.
Sarah: Yes, Mr. Sterling. I’ve got him.
Richard walked over to the marble countertop where his personal tablet rested in its charging dock. He unhooked the tablet, his fingers typing in his master security code with rapid, aggressive taps.
Chloe: Richard, my father is waiting for us at the Palm Beach Country Club for lunch. We are going to be late for our reservation!
Richard: Lunch can wait.
Richard lined up the red USB drive with the tablet’s side port and pushed it in until a sharp click echoed through the quiet study.
Chloe: You're wasting your time looking at fake files created by a disgruntled employee!
Sarah: The truth isn't fake, Miss Vance.
On the tablet screen, a dark green system window automatically launched. Lines of green digital code and encrypted system data files began scrolling down the display at high speed.
Richard: What is this... this looks like internal corporate banking records.
Chloe: I don't know anything about corporate banking! I'm an interior designer!
Richard: Then why are my late wife’s private offshore trust accounts listed under your personal social security number?!
Richard stared down at the tablet screen with wide, horrified eyes. His heart hammered against his ribs as he clicked on the top file folder, labeled "Sterling Family Will Revisions - Draft 4."
Richard: My God... you altered my late wife’s life insurance policy payout distribution.
Chloe: That... that was just a draft my family attorney prepared to protect our future children!
Richard: Sarah’s name wasn't on these documents, Chloe. Yours was! You set up a shell corporation in the Cayman Islands to drain Leo’s inheritance before he even turns five years old!
Chloe: It’s not what it looks like! I was managing those assets to protect them from market inflation!
Richard: You weren't protecting anything! You were siphoning off millions of dollars every single month!
Sarah: Show him the audio files recorded last Tuesday, Mr. Sterling. Scroll to the bottom folder.
Richard tapped the screen again, opening an audio recording stored inside the root directory. The tablet’s speakers crackled to life, playing Chloe’s clear, sharp voice into the room.
Audio Voice (Chloe): "If the old man doesn't sign the revised trust agreement by the end of the month, I’ll make sure the kid becomes too much of a burden for him to keep."
The audio recording finished playing, leaving a ringing silence in the study. Chloe’s face turned completely white, all the confidence draining from her eyes in a single second.
Richard: You monster...
Chloe: Richard, wait! I can explain that recording! It was taken out of context during a stressful conversation with my sister!
Richard: You threatened my three-month-old baby boy!
In a sudden, uncontrollable burst of rage, Richard turned around, gripped Chloe by her shoulders, and forcefully shoved her back into the armchair, sending her designer handbag clattering onto the floor.
Sarah: Daddy, she threatened to hurt me...
Richard: She will never touch anyone in this household ever again!