The security officers stood beside Evelyn and firmly directed her toward the grand front exit.
Richard watched in cold silence as Evelyn was escorted down the long driveway without her belongings.
He turned back toward the stairs and noticed the silver locket lying open on the middle step.
Beside the silver locket lay an open legal document that had fallen from Evelyn's brown gown.
Richard walked up the white stairs slowly and picked up the folded papers from the step.
His eyes scanned the top lines of the document, and his jaw clenched in deep anger.
It was a fraudulent estate application designed to transfer Maya's trust fund directly into Evelyn's account.
Evelyn had been working secretly with a corrupt legal advisor to declare Maya unfit for inheritance.
The trust fund was worth millions of dollars left behind by Maya's late biological mother.
Evelyn needed to isolate Maya completely to force the court papers through without any questions asked.
Richard walked down the stairs holding the evidence firmly in his right hand with deep determination.
He summoned his private divorce lawyer to the mansion for an emergency meeting in his study.
Lawyer: Richard, this evidence is more than enough to file criminal fraud charges against her.
Richard: I want a complete restraining order put in place by this afternoon.
Lawyer: We will also seize every asset she tried to move out of the country.
Richard: Ensure she never receives a single cent from my family estate ever again.
Lawyer: She will be facing severe legal consequences before the end of the week.
Richard sat behind his heavy oak desk in front of the window with total clarity now.
He realized how close he had come to losing his precious daughter to a cruel scheme.
He looked down at the silver locket in his hand and polished the surface with his coat sleeve.
Inside the locket, the smiling face of his late wife looked back at him in the sunlight.
He made a quiet solemn promise to protect his home from any future threat or greedy deception.
He stood up from his leather chair and walked out into the bright library to find Maya.