Elena: She's a child! Nobody would have believed her word against mine in court!
Marcus: I would have believed her! The judge would have ordered a forensic audit of the signature!
Elena: It doesn't matter anymore! The new will was filed with the county probate office yesterday morning! I am the sole legal executor of the Sterling family estate!
Marcus: An executor who is currently standing in a crime scene covered in physical evidence of child abuse and unlawful imprisonment.
Elena: It was juice! It wasn't blood! No jury is going to convict me of attempted murder over spilled fruit punch!
Marcus: They won't convict you of murder, Elena. They will convict you of felony kidnapping, child endangerment, grand forgery, and estate fraud.
Outside the grand estate, the loud, wailing sounds of police sirens began echoing up the long, winding driveway.
Elena: No... no, no, no! Tell them to go away! Call them off, Marcus!
Marcus: The silent alarm went off the moment I broke that heavy padlock[cite: 1]. You set up that high-tech security system yourself to protect your precious stolen mansion, didn't you?
Elena: You tricked me! You dragged out this argument on purpose so the officers could surround the house!
Marcus: I didn't trick you, Elena. You trapped yourself the moment you chose greed over a little girl's life.
Elena bolted toward the grand rear terrace doors, trying to push past Marcus, but he grabbed her wrists firmly, twisting the heavy brass statue out of her fingers and dropping it onto the marble floor[cite: 1].
Elena: Let go of me! Get your hands off me, you brute!
Marcus: You're not going anywhere, Elena. You are going to sit right here on this marble floor until the sheriff arrives.
Elena: Marcus, I'll pay you! I'll transfer five million dollars directly to your private bank account today if you just let me walk out the back gate!
Marcus: Five million dollars? You really think everything in this world has a price tag, don't you?
Elena: Everyone has a price! Name your number! Ten million?! Twelve million?!
Marcus: My daughter's safety is priceless. You couldn't buy your freedom from me if you offered all the gold on earth.
The heavy front oak doors were thrown wide open, and four uniformed police officers charged into the high-key foyer with their handguns drawn[cite: 1].
Police Officer 1: Police! Nobody move! Put your hands in the air immediately!
Marcus: Officer, I am Marcus Sterling. I am the owner of this estate. The woman under my arm is Elena Vance.
Elena: Officer, help me! He assaulted me! He broke into my private residence and attacked me with an iron rod!
Police Officer 1: Ma'am, step away from the gentleman and place your hands behind your back!
Elena: What?! I am the victim here! Look at my coat! Look at the mess he made in my foyer!
Police Officer 2: Officer Davis, secure the suspect. I see the broken chain and padlock on the floor[cite: 1].
Officer Davis stepped forward, grabbing Elena's arms and snapping heavy steel handcuffs tightly around her wrists.
Elena: Ouch! You're hurting my wrists! I am going to sue this entire police department!
Police Officer 1: You have the right to remain silent, ma'am. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.