Charles walked briskly up the wide marble steps toward his wife.
His shoes made sharp echoing sounds against the hard stone stairs.
Victoria stepped back against the wall with her hands pressed together.
Charles: Why were you touching my grandfather's silver chest?
Victoria: I was only moving it to the library for safekeeping!
Elena: That is not true, Mr. Sterling!
Elena stood up carefully while holding the silver chest securely.
She opened the lid to reveal the folded parchment papers inside.
Elena: She was trying to destroy the original estate addendum!
Victoria glared down at Elena with sharp fury in her eyes.
Victoria: You are a maid, you have no right to speak!
Charles: She has every right to speak in this house!
Charles pointed his finger sternly at Victoria's face.
Charles: Hand over those papers to me this instant!
Victoria reached into her gown pocket and pulled out a small key.
Victoria: You do not understand what is written in these files, Charles!
Charles: I understand that you have been hiding things from me!
Elena walked up the first three steps to present the box.
Charles took the thick paper document from inside the velvet container.
He unfolded the crisp pages under the bright foyer light.
His eyes scanned the signatures written at the bottom of the page.
Charles: This is my late father's handwritten codicil.
Victoria: It is completely invalid and outdated, Charles!
Charles: It bears the official seal of the state probate court!
Victoria pressed her back tighter against the wallpapered corridor wall.
Victoria: I was only protecting our family legacy from outsiders!
Charles: You were protecting your own personal trust fund allocation!
Elena stepped back down to the main floor to give them space.
Elena: There are more documents hidden in the study desk, sir.
Charles looked at Elena with deep gratitude and newfound respect.
Charles: Thank you for your honesty, Elena.
Victoria: You are choosing a servant over your own wife?
Charles: I am choosing the truth over your constant deception!