Mark sat alone in his private home office later that afternoon.
The heavy oak desk was covered with legal documents and files.
He called his personal family lawyer on his desk phone.
Mark: I need you to check something important for me.
Lawyer: What seems to be the problem, Mr. Sterling?
Mark: Look into Elena's past and her background financial records.
Mark hung up the phone and rubbed his tired eyes.
He had married Elena after a brief romance in the city.
He had believed she was a loving and kind woman.
Now he wondered if everything had been a carefully planned lie.
A knock sounded at the double dark wood office doors.
Sarah stepped inside carrying a warm glass of water.
Sarah: How is little Lily doing right now, sir?
Mark: She is sleeping quietly in her bedroom upstairs.
Sarah placed the glass gently onto the large wooden desk.
Sarah: Mr. Sterling, there is something else you should know.
Mark looked up at the loyal maid with sudden interest.
Mark: What did you see before I arrived home today?
Sarah: Elena was searching through your heavy wall safe yesterday morning.
Mark froze as he heard those unexpected words.
He stood up slowly from his large leather armchair.
Mark: My wall safe behind the painting in the library?
Sarah: Yes sir, she had papers spread across the floor.
Mark walked past Sarah and hurried down the private hallway.
He entered the quiet library and stepped toward the painting.
He swung the large oil painting away from the wall.
The metal safe door was unlocked and sitting slightly open.
Mark: She knew the combination to my private family safe!
He pulled out a thick envelope containing his life insurance policy.
Inside the envelope was an altered legal document with signatures.
His estate documents had been replaced with fraudulent papers.
Mark: She was planning to steal my entire inheritance!
Sarah stood in the doorway with an anxious expression.
Sarah: Did she manage to take anything valuable, sir?
Mark: She tried to steal everything my family built over generations.
He held the fake documents tight in his trembling hands.
Mark: This was never about love or marriage for her.
He turned toward Sarah with a serious look of respect.
Mark: You saved more than just my daughter today, Sarah.
Sarah: I only wanted to keep little Lily safe from harm.
The front doorbell rang loudly throughout the house.