The quiet hum of the mansion's air conditioning was the only sound for several tense seconds as Arthur flicked through the remaining pages of the folder. Evelyn walked over to the grand staircase, resting her hand on the carved banister as she tried to regain control of her breathing.
Evelyn: We agreed to restructure the estate trust three months ago, Arthur. You signed those preliminary papers yourself in front of our corporate divorce lawyer.
Arthur: I signed paperwork allowing a standard trust management update, not an absolute transfer of power to your personal account!
Maria: She presented a altered document to the bank board last Tuesday while you were mid-flight, Mr. Vance.
Evelyn: Shut your mouth, Maria! You are an employee! You sign an NDA when you work in this mansion!
Maria: My primary duty assigned by the late Mr. Vance was the safety and welfare of his grandson. An NDA does not cover financial fraud against a minor!
Arthur felt a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. He turned toward the nursery hallway, remembering how many times over the past six months Evelyn had insisted on handling all domestic financial mail personally.
Arthur: Is this why you insisted on firing the previous trust manager last month?
Evelyn: He was incompetent, Arthur! He was mismanaging the property taxes on the Dallas estate!
Arthur: He worked for my family for twenty-five years without a single mistake! You replaced him with your cousin's law firm!
Maria: Here is the correspondence log, sir. The new firm issued a foreclosure warning against the main house title two days ago.
Evelyn: That was a procedural notice! A standard legal formality during asset re-allocation!
Arthur: A foreclosure notice on my childhood home is not a formality, Evelyn! What did you do with the estate capital?
Evelyn: I saved this family! You were too weak to make the hard financial decisions after your father fell ill!
Arthur: You didn't save anything! You looted my son's future while I was mourning my father!
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