Mrs. Vance adjusted the soft collar of her silk gown.
She looked up at the big flag on the white wall.
Her hands were old, but her eyes held a strong light.
Julian waited in silence for his mother to speak.
Clara tried to pull her hand away out of respect.
Mrs. Vance refused to let the young girl go.
Mrs. Vance: There is something you need to know about Clara.
Julian: Tell me before I call our lawyer.
Mrs. Vance: Do not threaten her in this house.
Clara: It is okay, I can leave right now.
Mrs. Vance: You stay right here by my side.
Julian looked closely at Clara's familiar pale face.
He saw features that reminded him of his late father.
The shape of her eyes matched his own perfectly.
A cold feeling spread slowly through his entire body.
He remembered rumors from many long years ago.
His father had kept many private secrets from the world.
Julian: Is she who I think she is?
Mrs. Vance: She is your biological sister, Julian.
Julian stood up instantly from the soft leather seat.
The words hit him like a heavy iron weight.
He looked at Clara with absolute shock in his eyes.
Clara bowed her head and began to cry quietly.
Julian: This cannot be true at all.
Mrs. Vance: I found out five long months ago.
Julian: Why did nobody tell me about this?
Clara: I never wanted to break your family apart.
Julian paced across the shiny white marble floor.
His mind was spinning with endless heavy questions.
The family trust fund was already split between them.
A new legal heir would change everything about the fortune.
He thought about the legal battle over the estate.
Julian: Did she come here for the money?
Mrs. Vance: She came here to work and serve.
Clara: I only wanted to know my real mother.
Julian: You are not her mother, Mrs. Vance!
Mrs. Vance raised her hand to stop his harsh tone.
She looked at Julian with deep emotional pain.
She had accepted Clara into her home with love.
The truth was now out in the open air.
Julian did not know what to feel anymore.
He stared at the small pile of shaved hair.
His mother was sick, and Clara was taking care.
The silence in the room was heavy and dense.