Evelyn sat behind her large polished mahogany desk, looking over several legal documents with a stern expression.
She looked up as Mark entered, her eyes cold and unyielding as she set her golden pen down.
"You are making a massive mistake, Mark," Evelyn said, her voice dripping with quiet authority and venom.
"We have discussed this a hundred times, Mother," Mark replied, keeping his voice steady and calm for Leo.
"Leo is my legally adopted son, and he is every bit a Sterling as I am," Mark continued firmly.
"He carries no Sterling blood!" Evelyn snapped, standing up quickly and leaning across the wide desk.
"The family trust was created to protect our legacy, not to hand millions to a random child!"
"He is not a random child, he is your grandson!" Mark yelled back, losing his patience completely.
"I will not let you strip away his inheritance just to satisfy your backward vanity!" Mark added loudly.
Evelyn glared at her son with extreme bitterness before slowly walking toward the study door without speaking further.
Mark thought she was leaving to cool off, so he sat down to organize his legal papers carefully.
Outside the study, Evelyn walked down the carpeted hallway until she reached the central second-floor balcony railing.
From the balcony, she looked down into the grand foyer where little Leo was sitting on the floor.
The boy was humming a song while playing with his toy cars near the grand staircase leading up.
Evelyn's face hardened as a cruel, desperate thought took root in her bitter and selfish mind.
She walked slowly down the upper stairs and approached the boy from behind with sharp, quiet footsteps.
"Come with me, young man," Evelyn said coldly, grabbing Leo firmly by his small upper arm.
Leo gasped in surprise, dropping his toy truck as the sharp grip caused him sudden physical pain.
"Grandma, you're hurting me!" Leo cried out, trying to pull his arm back from her firm grasp.
"You don't belong here!" Evelyn hissed under her breath, pulling the frightened child up the steps forcibly.
She dragged the small boy up toward the second-floor balcony railing overlooking the massive double-height foyer floor below.
Leo began to cry loudly, his small hands desperately trying to pry her cold fingers off his wrist.
"Daddy! Help me!" Leo screamed out, his voice echoing loudly across the entire multi-million dollar mansion estate.
In the office, Mark heard his son's terrified scream and immediately dropped his pen onto the paper.
His heart dropped into his stomach as he burst out of the study door into the hallway.
He sprinted toward the main foyer, his leather dress shoes skidding sharply against the slick hardwood floor.
When he reached the opening, his eyes widened in absolute terror at the nightmare unfolding above him.