The mansion grew quiet again after Clara was taken upstairs to her room.
Ethan sat down at his large dark mahogany desk inside the home office.
Elena sat quietly in the soft leather armchair across from his desk.
The small baby slept peacefully in a wooden crib near the window.
Ethan opened the rest of the documents found inside the silver box.
He scanned each official page using a small brass reading lamp on his desk.
Ethan: She had an outside lawyer prepare these papers three weeks ago.
Elena: I suspected something was wrong when she searched your private office.
Ethan: Why did you not call my personal phone right away, Elena?
Elena: She changed the house code locks and took away the house phones.
Ethan leaned back in his heavy leather chair and rubbed his tired eyes.
He realized how close he came to losing control of his estate.
Ethan: My late brother trusted me to raise his son properly.
Elena: He would be very proud of how you defended him today.
Ethan: I could not have saved him without your brave help, Elena.
Ethan opened a lower desk drawer and pulled out a blue folder.
He placed the folder on the flat desk surface between them both.
Ethan: These are the true adoption papers signed by my late brother.
Elena: Does Clara know that these documents already exist in full?
Ethan: No, she believed the silver box held the only real copies.
Elena let out a long sigh of relief as she relaxed her shoulders.
Elena: So his legal inheritance was completely safe the entire time.
Ethan: Safe from her legal claims, but not safe from her tricks.
Ethan picked up his office landline telephone receiver with a firm grip.
He dialed a ten digit number quickly and held the phone to his ear.
Ethan: Hello, Mr. Vance, please come to the estate immediately with police.
Elena: Are you really going to press formal charges against Clara?
Ethan: She crossed a line today that can never be forgiven again.