They saw Marcus following Arthur out of the dining room.
They saw the argument develop.
They saw Eleanor approaching.
And then they saw Marcus grab his grandfather's cardigan.
Richard watched the recording without interruption.
When the footage reached the moment Arthur pointed toward the camera, Richard paused the video.
Richard: "The recording is quite clear."
Arthur: "I can see that."
Richard: "It establishes the sequence of events. It also shows that you repeatedly asked him to release you."
Arthur looked at the frozen image.
Arthur: "I never imagined I would need evidence to prove something like this happened inside my own home."
Richard: "I understand. But the important thing now is to preserve the evidence and avoid making decisions before we understand the entire situation."
Arthur nodded.
Richard continued reviewing the footage.
When it ended, he closed the recording window.
Richard: "What do you want to happen next?"
Arthur took a deep breath.
Arthur: "I want Marcus to explain himself. But I also want the financial investigation completed. If he has made mistakes, he needs to take responsibility for them."
Richard: "And if the documents show that someone used your name without permission?"
Arthur looked down at the folder.
Arthur: "Then we will deal with that according to the law."
Richard understood that Arthur was trying to separate two different issues.
The first was the family conflict.
The second was the possibility of unauthorized financial activity.
They might be connected, but they required separate examinations.
Richard: "I recommend that we arrange a formal meeting. Marcus should be given an opportunity to respond to the concerns in writing."
Arthur: "Agreed."
Richard: "We should also make it clear that his position in the company does not give him authority to approve transactions outside his assigned responsibilities."
Arthur: "I have already told him that."
Richard: "Then this time, we need to put it in writing."
Arthur nodded.
The meeting continued for another hour.
They discussed the company's internal procedures, the preservation of documents, and the steps required to protect the family's business interests while the investigation was underway.
By the time Richard left the office, Arthur had made an important decision.
Marcus would no longer be allowed to participate in financial approvals until the review was completed.
It was not a final judgment.
It was a precaution.
But Arthur knew that his grandson would probably interpret it as an attack.
Meanwhile, Marcus had spent the morning at his apartment, trying to understand how quickly his situation had changed.
He had barely slept.
His phone had been ringing repeatedly, but he had ignored most of the calls.
One message from his mother particularly bothered him.
Eleanor had written that Arthur wanted everyone to remain calm and that a formal discussion would take place later.
Marcus interpreted the message as a warning.
He believed his grandfather was preparing to use the previous evening's incident to remove him from the family business.
He also suspected that the security footage would be shown to other relatives.
The thought made him furious.
Marcus: "He is really going to do this."
His girlfriend, Sophia, was sitting on the sofa nearby.
She had heard him talking about the argument several times since he arrived.
Sophia: "Maybe you should speak to him and apologize."
Marcus: "You do not understand what he is doing."
Sophia: "I understand that you grabbed your grandfather."
Marcus looked at her sharply.
Marcus: "I was angry. It was an argument."
Sophia: "It does not matter how angry you were. You should never have put your hands on him."
Marcus: "So everyone is against me now?"
Sophia: "I am not against you. I am telling you that you made a serious mistake."
Marcus walked toward the window.
He did not want to hear another lecture.
For months, he had imagined himself taking on a larger role in the family company. He had spoken to potential partners, discussed future investments, and made promises to people who believed he represented the Bennett family.
He had also spent money expecting that certain business opportunities would eventually generate significant returns.
Now those plans were in danger.
He knew that the investigation could uncover the details of transactions he had hoped would remain private.
Marcus: "My grandfather has always wanted to control everything. Even now, when he is supposed to be preparing for retirement, he cannot let anyone else make decisions."
Sophia: "Maybe he is concerned about the way the company is being managed."
Marcus: "You sound like my mother."
Sophia: "Perhaps because we are both looking at the same situation."
Marcus turned away.
He picked up his phone and opened a message conversation with someone named Victor.
Victor was a business associate who had introduced Marcus to several investment opportunities.
Their relationship had become increasingly important over the previous year.
Marcus had promised Victor that the Bennett family would provide financial support for a proposed development project.
But the arrangement had not received final approval from Arthur.
Victor had repeatedly asked Marcus when the money would arrive.
Marcus had reassured him that everything was under control.