Sarah spun around rapidly when she heard Nathan's deep voice echo through the hall.
She froze in shock and dropped the wooden stick immediately onto the hard marble floor.
The heavy stick clattered loudly as it rolled away toward the base of the wall.
Sarah: Nathan...! I did not hear you come home from work!
Nathan: What were you doing with that stick near my child?
Sarah tried to pull her golden dress straight and fix her hair with trembling hands.
Sarah: She was trying to steal from your private safe in the office!
Elena looked up from the floor with tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
Elena: She is lying to you, Nathan! Look at the trust documents!
Elena: She's your daughter, Nathan! You have to protect Lily's future!
Nathan walked over to the floor and picked up the scattered papers Sarah had hidden.
He read the large bold letters printed across the top of the official court paper.
It was a legal amendment to his grandfather's estate assigning everything directly to Lily.
Sarah had kept the documents hidden for three years to control the family business funds.
She used the money to buy personal luxury items and pay off private personal debts.
Nathan looked up from the paper and stared at Sarah with total disbelief and anger.
Nathan: You stole Lily's trust fund to cover your own secret expenses?
Sarah: I did it for us! I wanted to keep our status in the city!
Nathan: You threatened my family to hide your own greedy greed!
Sarah stepped back against the wall as Nathan stepped toward her with determination.
She realized that her carefully constructed lifestyle was crumbling to pieces right now.
Nathan turned his back on her and knelt down on the cold marble floor.