Sarah rushed forward to grab the phone from Mark's hands.
Mark stepped back and pushed her hands away firmly.
Mark: Do not touch me right now, Sarah.
Sarah: Please don't call the police, Mark!
Mark: A child was locked inside a wall!
Sarah: My family will lose everything if this gets out!
The heavy double doors of the ballroom swung open suddenly.
Sarah's mother Eleanor walked into the private hall in style.
She wore a diamond necklace and an expensive silk gown.
Her smile faded instantly as she saw the broken wall.
She saw the dust and the child standing near Mark.
Eleanor: What is the meaning of this mess?
Mark: You locked your own granddaughter in a wall!
Eleanor: Lower your voice right now, young man.
Mark: I will not lower my voice, Eleanor!
Eleanor walked closer with absolute calm and strict authority.
She did not look at the crying girl for one second.
She looked directly at Mark with cold calculating eyes.
Eleanor: That child is a mistake from Sarah's past.
Mark: She is a human being!
Eleanor: She belongs in an elite private boarding school.
Mark: You put her behind plaster like trash!
Eleanor pulled a small leather checkbook from her handbag.
She opened it and took out a gold fountain pen.
Eleanor: We can settle this matter right here privately.
Mark: You think money fixes a crime?
Eleanor: I am offering you five million dollars.
Mark: Put that checkbook away immediately.
Eleanor wrote a figure on the slip of paper rapidly.
She held the slip of paper out toward Mark's chest.
She told him to take the check and finish the wedding.
She said the girl would be moved away by nightfall.
Mark looked at the piece of paper in absolute disgust.
He snatched the check from her fingers and tore it.
He tossed the ripped pieces of paper onto the floor.
Mark: My family business has ethics, Eleanor.
Sarah: Mark, please think about our future!
Mark: We do not have a future together.
The child pulled gently on Mark's tuxedo jacket sleeve.
She looked up at him with clear eyes full of hope.
Child: Are you my new daddy?
Mark felt a heavy lump form inside his tight throat.
He wrapped his arm gently around the girl's shoulder.
Mark: I am going to protect you today.