Mark turned his head slowly toward the upper level. His eyes locked onto Eleanor, who was standing frozen against the balcony wall. A deep, burning anger swelled up inside Mark's chest, replacing his sudden panic with pure white rage. His jaw clenched tight, his teeth grinding together as he pulled his trembling wife closer to his side. He lifted his head toward the ceiling, his voice echoing loudly against the high walls.
Mark: Nobody touches my family and walks away! Call the police right now!
Eleanor: Mark, listen to me! It was an accident! She tripped on her own dress!
Mark: Shut your mouth! I saw you standing right above her!
Eleanor: You are letting your emotions blind you, son! She lost her balance!
Mark: Do not ever call me your son again, Eleanor!
Mark gently helped Victoria sit up against the base of the plush sofa near the entrance. He stripped off his grey suit jacket and folded it neatly behind her back to support her spine. He kissed her wet forehead gently, his hands trembling as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.
Mark: Stay right here, my love. Do not move an inch.
Victoria: Mark, please stay with me. Do not leave my side.
Mark: I am just calling the ambulance and the sheriff. Nobody is leaving this house today.
Mark pulled his cell phone from his pocket with quick, sharp movements. He dialed 911 while keeping his eyes fixed on the top of the stairs, ensuring Eleanor did not try to run away through the back wing of the mansion. The dispatcher answered on the second ring.
Mark: I need an emergency medical team and the police at the Sterling Estate immediately. My pregnant wife was just assaulted and pushed from a balcony.
Dispatcher: Sir, is she conscious? Is the suspect still on the scene?
Mark: She is conscious and terrified. The suspect is upstairs right now. Send units fast!
He ended the call and stood up to his full height. Standing six feet tall in his dark trousers and white dress shirt, Mark looked imposing beneath the bright daylight that poured through the tall arched windows. He walked slowly toward the bottom of the grand stairs, looking up at the woman who had tried to ruin his entire life for money.
Mark: You have crossed a line that you can never cross back over, Eleanor.
Eleanor: I spent twenty years maintaining this family estate, Mark! You were going to give it all away to a girl from the streets!
Mark: Victoria is my wife, and my child is the rightful heir to my father's hard work! You are nothing but a greedy thief!
Eleanor: Your father left me this house in his heart!
Mark: My father left you a generous monthly allowance, but that allowance ends today! I am filing for immediate revocation of your trust permissions!
Eleanor's face lost all its remaining color. She clutched her pearl necklace with thin, bony fingers. Her grand plan to secure the family fortune for herself had completely crumbled in a matter of seconds. She looked down at Victoria, who was holding her belly and sobbing softly in the light of the grand foyer.
Eleanor: You cannot kick me out of my own home!
Mark: This is not your home anymore, Eleanor. This is a crime scene, and you are going to prison.