Vince walked around the large marble dining table while holding the cracked smartphone very tightly.
Attorney Bellum held his leather briefcase close to his chest and backed toward the hallway.
The atmosphere inside the luxury home turned icy as the implications of the voice settled in.
Lily held onto her grandfather's belt loop while walking right beside him into the study.
The study was lined with heavy wooden shelves filled with legal folders and family records.
A central router unit blinked with small green lights on top of the dark mahogany desk.
Vince tapped the key pad on his desktop computer to open the home server network.
He typed in the private password that only he and Eleanor had known for years.
Lawyer Bellum: Mr. Morana, inspecting unverified files will delay our scheduled filing deadline dramatically.
Vince Morana: The deadline does not matter to me at all right now, Bellum.
The computer screen flickered bright blue as the main system folder opened up completely.
A list of encrypted PDF files appeared with dates matching the week before Eleanor died.
Vince clicked on the top file and opened a scanned copy of an older will.
The original document clearly stated that all family property belonged directly to little Lily.
The document sitting on the marble table outside was a completely modified fake legal version.
It named Attorney Bellum and Clara as the sole joint trustees of the entire estate.
Vince felt a wave of cold anger rise from deep within his quiet chest area.
He turned his head around slowly to face his stepdaughter who stood in the doorway.
Vince Morana: You tried to take everything away from Eleanor's actual biological granddaughter.
Clara: Bellum told me that this was the only way to protect our family!
Lawyer Bellum: That digital file is an outdated draft that carries no legal weight today!
The lawyer reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black remote device quickly.
He pressed the red button on the remote before anyone inside the room could react.
The lights on the main router went completely dark as the internet connection shut down.
The computer screen went black instantly while an error icon flashed across the glass monitor.
Vince stared at the dark screen with eyes that filled with explosive sudden fury.
He looked at the small black device resting in the lawyer's thin right hand.
The final layer of deception was finally exposed right inside his own quiet home.