Victoria turned her head around and noticed Mark marching down the long staircase.
Her sharp glare did not soften even as her future husband approached her fast.
Lily scrambled across the slippery marble floor to gather the broken wooden pieces.
Her small fingers bled slightly from the sharp edges of the fractured frame.
She ran toward Mark and hid herself right behind his tall frame.
Victoria marched forward with high heels clicking loudly against the stone ground.
She grabbed Mark's arm aggressively under the bright overhead sunlight.
Her fingers dug into his black suit coat while she sneered right at him.
Victoria: Leave her! The ceremony is starting!
Victoria: It's her or me!
Mark felt a wave of absolute disgust wash over his mind.
He looked down at Victoria's hand gripping his arm so tight.
He forcefully shoved her hand away from his body with intense anger.
Mark: That's my daughter.
Mark: You just answered that yourself!
Victoria took a step back while her face turned completely pale from shock.
She had never heard Mark speak with such a cold dangerous tone before.
The guests sitting in the adjacent room began whispering among themselves nervously.
Mark knelt down on the hard marble floor right next to his weeping daughter.
He pulled Lily into a tight protective embrace against his broad chest.
Lily wrapped her small arms around his neck while trembling continuously.
She pointed her shaking hand toward the pile of shattered dark oak wood.
Lily: Daddy... mommy hid something inside...
Mark looked down at the broken base of the handmade box.
A small secret compartment had split open during the violent impact.
Inside the hollow space lay a folded piece of thick yellowed paper.
It was covered in tight handwriting that Mark recognized instantly.
His late wife Sarah had left a hidden note before she died.
Mark picked up the crisp paper while his own hands began to tremble slightly.
Victoria tried to step forward to snatch the paper away from his fingers.
Mark stood up fast and raised his arm to keep her away.
He slowly unfolded the old parchment under the bright afternoon sun.
The initial words at the top of the page made his stomach drop completely.