The entire room seemed to grow icy cold in an instant.
Richard felt his heart pounding heavily against his ribs like a drum.
He whispered the name under his breath with absolute shock.
Richard: Isabella...
Victoria stepped back slightly as her cheeks lost all their bright color.
She shifted her gaze away from Richard and looked down at the floor.
Richard stepped even closer to Clara and looked directly into her eyes.
Her eyes were the exact shade of light green he remembered from childhood.
Richard: Your mother's name was Isabella?
Clara: Yes, sir, she passed away when I was very young.
Clara: This locket is the only thing I have left from her.
Richard reached out with a slight tremble in his fingers.
Richard: May I look at the inside of it?
Clara nodded slowly and opened the small silver latch on the side.
Inside sat a tiny, faded photograph of a smiling young woman.
Beside the photo were two small engraved letters: R and I.
Richard covered his mouth with his hand as tears welled in his eyes.
Isabella had been the housekeeper who raised him when his parents died.
She had vanished suddenly twenty years ago without leaving any message.
The family had searched for months, but found no trace of her.
Victoria's father had told everyone that Isabella had simply stolen money and left.
Richard had believed that sad story for two whole decades.
Richard: Isabella didn't abandon this house, did she?
Clara: No, sir, my mother never wanted to leave you.
Clara: She told me before she died that she was forced out.
Victoria: This is ridiculous lies from a lying worker!
Victoria: Richard, throw this girl out onto the street right now!
Richard: Be quiet, Victoria.
Victoria: You are taking the word of a maid over mine?
Richard: I am listening to the truth for the first time.
Clara pointed a trembling finger directly toward Victoria.
Clara: Sir... your fiancée knows what happened back then.
Clara: Her family took everything my mother owned.
Clara: They threatened her so she would never come back here.
Richard turned his glare slowly toward Victoria's nervous face.
Richard: Is this true?
Victoria: Of course not, she is making up stories for money!
Richard: You know details about my family's past you never shared.
Richard: We are going upstairs to check the old study archives.