Arthur walked across the shiny marble floor while his dirty boots left faint grey marks.
He looked at the high ceilings and the massive crystal chandelier hanging above him.
Everything looked just as expensive as before, but the cozy warmth was completely gone.
Sarah closed the massive front doors quietly so no outside noise could travel inside.
Sarah: Your brother Richard lives here now with his new business attorney.
Arthur: I figured he would take control the moment my ship went down.
Arthur remembered the night his steering equipment failed out in the dark ocean water.
He had spent years recovering on a small island while working to get home.
He had saved every penny from odd jobs just to buy a single train ticket.
He heard loud footsteps echoing down the grand curved staircase at that moment.
A tall man dressed in a navy suit stepped into the hallway holding documents.
It was Richard Vance, looking sharp, clean, and completely in charge of everything.
Richard stopped in his tracks when he saw a dirty stranger in the foyer.
Richard: Sarah, why is there a homeless man standing on my marble floor?
Sarah: Sir, he asked to see you before I could turn him away.
Richard sneered and pulled a crisp linen handkerchief from his upper suit pocket.
He walked down the final steps without looking Arthur directly in the eye yet.
Richard: Get him out of here right now or you are fired today.
Arthur: Look closer at my face, Richard, before you make that call.
Richard stopped walking as the rough voice hit his ears like a cold wave.
He stared at the stranger's eyes and stepped back in pure shock and fear.
The papers in Richard's hand trembled slightly as he cleared his dry throat.
Richard: Arthur? That is impossible because you died five years ago in November.
Arthur: I survived the wreck, brother, despite what you wished for me.
Richard quickly looked toward the side offices to see if anyone else had heard.
He needed to keep control of the family fortune before news spread outside.
He narrowed his eyes and adopted a cold, mean tone of total defiance.
Richard: You have no proof, and you look like a wandering crazy man.
Arthur held out the gold pocket watch that had belonged to their father.
The family crest shone brightly under the lights of the great entrance hall.