Arthur sat across from Richard in the sunlit oak study on the second floor.
Documents were spread wide across the polished mahogany desk between them.
Arthur: We pulled the security footage from the internal house cameras.
Richard: Did she try to erase the video files?
Arthur: She tried, but our cloud server backed up every single frame automatically.
Arthur flipped open a laptop screen and turned it toward Richard.
The high-definition video showed Victoria ordering Lily around like a maid.
It showed Victoria taking Lily's phone and throwing it into a locked drawer.
It showed Victoria laughing while Lily scrubbed the floors on her hands and knees.
Richard's fist clenched tightly on the desk until his knuckles turned bone white.
Richard: This is clear evidence of illegal confinement and abuse of a minor.
Arthur: It gets much worse, Richard.
Arthur pulled out a set of financial bank statements with yellow highlight marks.
Arthur: While you were away, Victoria transferred fifty thousand dollars from the estate account.
Arthur: She sent it to a private bank account under her sister's name in Florida.
Richard: She was planning to drain my accounts while abusing my child.
Arthur: Precisely.
Arthur: She thought you would stay in New York through the end of the month.
Lily knocked gently on the study door and walked inside holding a tray.
She brought fresh coffee for Arthur and a glass of water for her dad.
Lily: Is everything okay in here?
Richard: Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart.
Richard: We have all the proof we need to make sure she faces justice.
Arthur: Miss Lily, these video recordings will protect you completely in court.
Lily looked at the laptop screen and saw the images of herself suffering.
A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she realized the nightmare was over.
Lily: I thought nobody would ever believe me.
Richard: I will always believe you, Lily.
Richard: I am so sorry I didn't see through her fake smile sooner.
Just then, Richard's phone began ringing loudly on the desk surface.
The caller ID showed Victoria's name in bold black letters.
Richard picked up the phone and pressed the speaker button instantly.
Victoria: Richard! You need to stop this madness right now!
Victoria: Your guards left me on the side of the public road like garbage!
Richard: You are lucky they didn't take you straight to the police station, Victoria.
Victoria: I am your legal wife! You owe me an explanation and my credit cards!
Richard: You will deal with my legal team from this moment forward.
He ended the call without waiting for her to respond.