Lady Genevieve: Clara, please! Think of your father's memory! He wouldn't want his family disgraced like this in public!
Clara: You were never his family, Genevieve. You were just the woman who married him for his money when he was too sick to see through your lies.
Sheriff Miller began marching Lady Genevieve down the snow-covered driveway toward the waiting police cruiser.
Lady Genevieve: Thomas! Help me! Call my attorney!
Guardsman Thomas: Your attorney left the country this morning, ma'am. He took the first flight out to Panama.
Lady Genevieve: What?! Without telling me?!
Guardsman Thomas: He knew the audit was finishing today. Everyone saw this coming except you.
Clara took a step forward, pulling her heavy cloak tighter around her neck as she watched her stepmother being pushed into the back seat of the squad car.
Lady Genevieve: You won't get away with this, Clara! The board of directors will never let a kid run the Vance Corporation!
Lawyer Sterling: The board of directors held an emergency meeting at noon today, Lady Genevieve. They voted unanimously to appoint Clara as sole trustee under the supervision of the probate court.
Lady Genevieve: Unanimously?! What about Marcus?!
Lawyer Sterling: Marcus resigned from the board forty-eight hours ago to avoid federal charges. He turned state's evidence against you this morning.
Lady Genevieve let out a shriek of pure rage as Sheriff Miller slammed the car door shut, locking her inside behind the reinforced glass.
Sheriff Miller: All set here, Lawyer Sterling. I'll take her down to central booking for processing.
Lawyer Sterling: Thank you, Sheriff. I'll meet you at the precinct after we clear the house files.
Sheriff Miller got into the driver's seat and turned on the siren, the red and blue lights flashing brightly against the snowy courtyard as the cruiser drove away down the long estate driveway.
Guardsman Thomas: Miss Clara... let me get you inside. The house is warm, and we can call a doctor to look at your back.
Clara: Thank you, Thomas. But first, I need to see the vault.
Lawyer Sterling: Right this way, Miss Vance. The keys and documents are inside the study.
Clara walked up the wide stone steps of the glowing blue castle, her boots leaving deep prints in the snow behind her.
Lawyer Sterling: Your father left a private letter inside the master box, Clara. He gave strict instructions that it should only be opened on your eighteenth birthday.
Clara: He knew this day would come, didn't he?
Lawyer Sterling: He knew Genevieve was dangerous. That's why he placed the real assets out of her reach three weeks before he passed.
Clara reached down into her pocket and pulled out the small silver band, holding it up against the morning sunlight.
Clara: He told me the ring was the key to everything. I just never understood why until today.