Ethan guided Emily down the grand staircase with extreme care and patience.
They walked into the ground floor study where the lawyer was waiting.
Mr. Vance stood up from behind the mahogany desk with a worried look.
Mr. Vance: Is everything alright with Mrs. Crawford upstairs?
Ethan: My mother just tried to intimidate my wife into silence.
Mr. Vance: I see. Then perhaps it is time we discuss the real estate documents.
Margaret walked into the room with her head held high and proud.
She glared at the lawyer and pointed an finger at the desk papers.
Margaret: Arthur, finalize the papers to remove Ethan from the trust today.
Mr. Vance: I am afraid I cannot do that, Margaret.
Margaret: What do you mean you cannot do your job?
Mr. Vance: Your late husband's trust was explicitly locked ten years ago.
Margaret froze in place as the lawyer opened a thick black binder.
Ethan looked at Mr. Vance with a look of confusion and growing interest.
Mr. Vance: The estate does not belong to you, Margaret.
Margaret: That is impossible, I am his surviving legal widow!
Mr. Vance: The trust transferred directly to Ethan upon his marriage.
Emily looked at Ethan, whose face was filled with utter disbelief.
Margaret's face went completely pale as she leaned against the leather armchair.
Mr. Vance: The only condition was that Ethan marry a person of good character.
Margaret: This girl is not a person of good character!
Mr. Vance: The private investigator report confirms Emily's spotless record.
Ethan: You hired an investigator to look into my wife?
Mr. Vance: Your late father instructed me to verify everything before transfer.
The silence in the study was broken only by Margaret's heavy breathing.
She realized in that single moment that her power was entirely gone.
Ethan: So this entire house belongs to me, not my mother.
Mr. Vance: That is correct, Ethan. You are the sole legal owner.