Chapter 3: The Lawyer’s Verdict
The front door swung open. Mr. Sterling’s family attorney, a man who had facilitated every one of Beatrice’s legal maneuvers for years, walked in. He wasn't looking at Beatrice. He was looking at the envelope in Julian’s hands.
"I received the notification," the lawyer said, his voice devoid of his usual sycophantic warmth. "The original probate records from 1996 were unsealed an hour ago. Beatrice, the game is up."
Beatrice lunged, trying to grab the document from Julian, but he stepped back, his posture shifting from victim to master of the house. The betrayal hit Beatrice harder than any physical blow—her son, whom she had treated as a footstool, was now her judge.
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"The specific detail?" Julian read aloud, his voice steadying. "The DNA results don't just exclude you from the bloodline, Mother. They prove you have a genetic marker for a hereditary condition that the Sterling family—and the true heiress—were known to be free of. The lab cross-referenced it with the historical samples from the family vault."
Beatrice fell into the velvet armchair, the crown slipping from her head. She had tried to exile them, but she had only succeeded in creating the perfect conditions for her own eviction.
