Arthur Vance stood in the large doorway of his marble mansion with a glass of scotch in his hand.
He watched the young maid reach up toward the grand portrait sitting above the roaring stone fireplace.
The white apron of her red maid uniform shifted as her fingers brushed the polished golden picture frame.
Arthur stepped across the shiny floor while his leather shoes made heavy striking sounds against the cold marble.
Arthur: Who allowed you to touch that framed portrait on the wall?
Clara lowered her hands slowly and turned around to face the wealthy older businessman with a calm face.
Clara: No one sir, but I know the young girl in this photograph.
Arthur stared at her while his fingers tightened around his heavy crystal drinking glass in deep anger.
Arthur: My daughter died twenty years ago during a terrible storm!
Clara: No sir, she is very much alive right now.
Clara reached into her pocket and pulled out a delicate silver chain with a heavy round locket attached.
She held the shiny metal piece out so the warm light from the burning logs caught the surface.
Arthur took a step forward while his breathing became heavy and uncertain in the wide open hall.
Arthur: Where did you get that item from Clara?
Clara: In a private room at a clinic your wife pays for every month.
Arthur reached out his hand while his palm trembled under the bright daylight filling the long hallway.
He lifted the heavy silver trinket to see the small Roman numerals engraved deeply into the cold metal.
The numbers matched the exact birthday of his missing child who disappeared during a tragic boat trip long ago.
Arthur: This necklace was in her small bedroom on the day she went missing.
Clara: She wears it around her neck every single afternoon sir.
Arthur placed his crystal glass down on a nearby mahogany table without looking away from the silver locket.
He remembered the sad funeral service his current wife Victoria had organized twenty full years before this moment.
Victoria had told every family lawyer that the young girl fell into the deep river during a vacation.
Arthur spent millions of dollars on sea rescue teams, but they never found a single trace of her.
Arthur: Why are you telling me this right now Clara?
Clara: Because your wife plans to send her away to another country tomorrow.
Arthur felt a cold shiver run down his straight spine while looking at the young maid's honest eyes.
Clara had worked in the giant house for three years without ever raising her voice or making trouble.
She had cleaned every luxury bedroom, wiped down every mirror, and served every family dinner with complete silence.
Arthur: How do you know about Victoria's monthly bank transfers?
Clara: I saw the financial statements inside the desk in her private study.
Arthur ran a hand through his gray hair while trying to understand the strange words coming from Clara.
If his biological daughter was still breathing, his entire multi-million dollar estate plan was built upon a lie.
Victoria had convinced him to leave his entire company inheritance to her nephew just two weeks prior.
Arthur: Show me the exact clinic address right now Clara.
Clara: Grab your coat sir because we need to leave before Victoria returns.
Arthur walked toward the grand wooden front doors while holding the small silver locket tightly in his fist.
He felt a rush of strong anger and sudden hope rise inside his chest after two long decades.
The giant mansion felt completely different to him now as he prepared to learn the full dark truth.