Brandon picked up the shiny ring from the velvet cushion, holding it up to the overhead light fixture.
Brandon: Are you sure, Chloe? We had this ring appraised together last month.
Chloe: My mother’s ring had a tiny laser inscription on the inner band with her initials, E.M. This band is completely smooth.
Victoria: You are accusing me of switching rings now?! You have lost your mind, Chloe!
Chloe: I kept that ring inside the velvet box in my bridal dressing table drawer until this morning!
Toby: Purple lady had the small blue box in her purse! I saw her open it when she gave me the pillow!
The attorney, Mr. Harrison, took a slow step backward toward the side door, looking ready to sprint out of the room.
Brandon: Don't move a muscle, Harrison! Stay right where you are!
Mr. Harrison: Mr. Vance, I was only hired to notarize the signatures! I had no knowledge of any physical property theft!
Brandon: You’re my mother’s accomplice, Harrison! Don't play dumb with me!
Brandon walked directly up to his mother, staring down into her frantic eyes with cold realization.
Brandon: Open your purse, Mom.
Victoria: I will do no such thing! This is an outrage!
Brandon: Open the purse, or I will call venue security to search you right here in front of everyone!
Victoria: How dare you treat your mother like a criminal!
Brandon: You stole my bride’s heirloom engagement ring on our wedding day! You ARE acting like a criminal!
Brandon reached out and grabbed Victoria’s luxury leather handbag from her shoulder, unzipping the main compartment.
Victoria: Give that back to me, Brandon! You have no right!
Brandon unzipped the inner pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet ring box, along with a thick stack of folded bank transfer receipts.
He snapped the blue box open. Resting inside was the genuine five-carat antique diamond ring, sparkling brilliantly under the lights.
Chloe: My mother’s ring...
Brandon: You actually stole it, Mom. You took it from her room before the ceremony.
Victoria: That ring belonged in our family estate! It was too valuable for a girl whose mother died in debt!
Chloe: My mother didn't die in debt, Victoria! What did you do with her estate trust fund?!
Brandon opened the bank transfer receipts, reading the top line out loud in a voice shaking with anger.
Brandon: Transfer target... Vance Real Estate Holdings. Amount... four million five hundred thousand dollars.
Chloe: Four point five million dollars?! That was my entire inheritance trust fund left by my late parents!
Mr. Harrison: I told you this would be discovered, Victoria! I warned you that the Chicago auditors were tracking the wire transfers!
Victoria: Shut up, Harrison! Shut your mouth!
Brandon: My God... Mom, you stole four million dollars from Chloe’s family trust fund after her mother passed away?
Victoria raised her chin arrogantly, smoothing down her plum purple dress with trembling fingers.
Victoria: Our company was going under, Brandon! I used that capital to save your future! To save our family business!
Brandon: You didn't save my future, Mom. You turned our family into a crime syndicate.