Mark sat at his large mahogany desk inside his private office on the main floor.
The morning sunlight streamed through the tall stained glass windows.
He looked at the financial files stacked neatly in front of him.
His sweet seven year old daughter Lily was playing on the carpet nearby.
Lily loved drawing colorful pictures with her favorite bright crayons.
Mark smiled softly as he watched her carefully draw a little red house.
He had spent the last ten years building his successful logistics firm.
His hard work allowed his family to live in a grand American mansion.
The house featured beautiful oak floors and white crown molding throughout every room.
A massive framed national flag hung proudly on the grand foyer wall.
Everything seemed absolutely perfect on the outside to their wealthy neighbors.
Yet Mark felt a strange cold distance growing between him and his wife Evelyn.
Evelyn was his second wife whom he had married three years ago.
His first wife had passed away shortly after Lily was born.
Evelyn always wore expensive designer dresses and managed their social calendar with ease.
She came from an influential family that valued high social standing above everything.
Recently Mark noticed large sums of cash missing from their joint business account.
He had confronted Evelyn gently about the strange transactions the previous week.
She had brushed off his concerns with a cold dismissive laugh.
She claimed the extra funds were simply spent on upcoming charity events.
Mark wanted to trust her completely for the sake of young Lily.
He picked up his pen and returned to checking the balance sheets.
Suddenly he heard loud steps coming down the upper hallway above.
Evelyn walked out onto the second floor balcony wearing a dark blue formal dress.
Her face looked unusually tight and pale in the bright hallway light.
She called out to Lily in a voice that sounded far too sharp.
Evelyn: Lily, come up here right now and put your shoes away.
Lily: I am drawing a picture for Daddy right now, Evelyn.
Evelyn: Do not make me repeat myself, young lady.
Lily put down her red crayon and sighed softly.
She walked up the grand staircase toward the upper floor balcony.
Mark looked back down at his legal paperwork with a slight frown.
He wished Evelyn would show a little more warmth toward his little girl.
He made a mental note to talk with their family lawyer later that afternoon.
He wanted to review the terms of their prenuptial agreement just in case.
A sudden strange quiet fell over the massive double height foyer.
Mark felt an uneasy chill run down his spine for no clear reason.