The family lawyer arrived at the mansion twenty minutes later with a black leather folder.
Mr. Harrison was a tall man with gray hair who had managed the estate for decades.
He walked into the brightly lit hall and greeted Daniel with a firm, respectful handshake.
Mr. Harrison: Daniel, you told me over the phone that there was an urgent matter.
Daniel: Yes, Mr. Harrison. My sister is accusing Elena of stealing crucial estate documents.
Mr. Harrison turned his gaze toward Valeria, who stood near the marble staircase with confidence.
Mr. Harrison: Valeria, which documents specifically are you claiming have gone missing today?
Valeria: The legal trust papers for the trust fund and the house deed!
Mr. Harrison adjusted his glasses and looked down at his own official paperwork inside the folder.
Mr. Harrison: That is quite impossible, Valeria. Those papers have been in my office safe.
A total silence fell over the massive mansion hall as the guests leaned in closer.
Valeria's eyes widened in shock as she took a small step backward toward the wall.
Valeria: What do you mean? I checked my desk folder just two hours ago!
Mr. Harrison: You asked me to review the trust fund terms three days ago, remember?
Daniel: So the documents were never inside this house in the first place today.
Elena let out a long sigh of relief as the truth began to come out.
She held onto the wooden chair nearby to keep her balance on her feet.
Elena: I told you, ma'am. I never touched any of your personal folders.
Daniel: Now explain why you claimed those papers were stolen from your desk, Valeria.
Valeria's cheeks turned red with deep embarrassment as dozens of eyes stared at her.
She tried to regain her composure by shifting the topic back to the missing ring.
Valeria: Fine, maybe the papers were with the lawyer! But my mother's diamond ring is missing!
Daniel: Let us check the secondary security system that I installed last month.
Valeria's posture froze instantly when she heard her brother mention the new security system.
Valeria: What secondary system? You never told me about any new cameras in the house!
Daniel: I installed backup cloud cameras in the main halls to protect our family valuables.
He opened a security application on his high-definition tablet screen with a quick swipe.
The guests gathered around the table to see what the live footage would reveal next.
Daniel: Let us review the corridor footage from eight o'clock this morning right now.
Valeria reached out her hand to block the tablet screen from being seen by others.
Valeria: This is a violation of my personal privacy in my own family home!
Daniel: This is an investigation into a crime that you brought before all these people.
He moved his arm away from her reach and pressed the play button on the video.
The screen displayed clear 4K video footage of the second-floor hallway near Valeria's room.
Everyone leaned forward as the timestamp on the screen showed eight-fifteen in the morning.