Ten minutes passed in tense silence inside the vast Dallas foyer.
Victoria stood near the sofa with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Richard sat Clara down on the armchair and brought her a warm glass of water.
He sat on the footstool beside her, holding her cold hands in his warm palms.
Richard: I am so sorry I was not here to protect you, Clara.
Clara: I never stopped loving you, Dad.
Clara: I wrote you letters every single week and hid them under my mattress.
Suddenly, the kitchen door at the far end of the hallway opened slowly.
Arthur, the family butler who had served the Vance estate for twenty years, walked out.
Arthur held a thick brown leather folder firmly beneath his left arm.
Victoria's eyes went wide with sudden panic as she saw the old butler.
Victoria: Arthur, go back to your quarters right now!
Arthur: I do not take orders from you anymore, Mrs. Vance.
Arthur walked directly past Victoria and stopped in front of Richard.
He handed the heavy brown folder to his long-time employer with deep respect.
Arthur: Mr. Vance, I could not stop her without losing my position.
Arthur: But I recorded every interaction she had with Miss Clara over six months.
Arthur: I also saved every letter Miss Clara wrote to you that was thrown away.
Richard opened the leather folder and saw stacks of handwritten notebook pages.
They were Clara's tear-stained letters written to him over the last half year.
Beneath the letters lay a small flash drive containing high-definition security footage.
Arthur: I installed my own private cameras in the hallway, sir.
Arthur: It shows Mrs. Vance forcing Miss Clara to work and threatening her daily.
Victoria's face turned completely white as she stepped back toward the wall.
Victoria: You traitorous old man! I will have you fired and sued!
Arthur: You will not be firing anyone today, madam.
The heavy front door opened once again, letting in the cool afternoon breeze.
Marcus, Richard's chief legal counsel, stepped into the foyer accompanied by two police officers.