The deputies brought Clara down the grand staircase in heavy steel handcuffs. Her hair was messy, her beige dress was rumpled, and tears of anger were smearing her mascara[cite: 1].
Clara: Mark! Tell them to take these off me! You can't let them take me away in front of the neighbors!
Mark: You should have thought about the neighbors before you tried to throw a baby off the balcony[cite: 1].
Clara: You'll regret this, Mark! You won't last a week taking care of that kid without me!
Mark: I'd rather raise her completely alone than let her spend another second near a snake like you.
Officer Davis escorted Clara out the front entrance doors into the bright daylight[cite: 1]. The heavy oak door slammed shut behind them, cutting off her frantic screams for good.
Mark walked slowly up the wooden steps, stopping at the exact spot where Nora had caught his daughter out of thin air[cite: 1]. He knocked softly on the nursery door.
Mark: Nora? It's Mark. It's safe to come out now.
The lock clicked, and Nora stepped into the hallway holding the peaceful baby in her arms[cite: 1]. The child was fast asleep, wrapped snugly in a warm pink blanket.
Nora: Is she gone, Mr. Mark?
Mark: She's on her way to jail. She'll never step foot in this house ever again.
Nora: Thank God... I was so scared she was going to get away with it.
Mark: Nora... I don't even know how to begin thanking you. You saved my daughter's life today. You risked your own body diving across those wooden steps[cite: 1].
Nora: Any decent person would have done the same thing, sir. She's just a helpless little baby.
Mark: Clara didn't do it. But you did. You protected her like a real mother would.
Mark reached out and gently touched his newborn daughter's small cheek. A soft smile appeared on his face for the first time all day.
Mark: Starting today, Nora, you are no longer the maid in this house.
Nora: What? Mr. Mark... are you firing me?
Mark: No, Nora. I'm offering you a promotion to full-time head nanny and manager of this entire estate. Full salary, private quarters, and complete authority over who comes into this home.
Nora: Mr. Mark... I don't know what to say...
Mark: Say yes, Nora. My daughter needs someone in this house who actually cares about her life.
Nora: Yes... of course, Mr. Mark. I would love to look after her.
Mark looked out over the second-floor balcony railing, where the white marble floor below gleamed in the afternoon sun[cite: 1]. The house was quiet now, safe, and filled with a peace it hadn't known in years.
He held his baby daughter close to his chest, knowing that the dark days were finally over, and justice had finally been served in the home his child deserved[cite: 1].