Mark grabbed a pair of sharp metal scissors from the nearby wooden nightstand to cut the ropes. He carefully sliced through the thick fibers, making sure not to hurt Elena or the sleeping babies. The tight cords snapped open, and Elena let out a long breath of pure relief as her arms freed. She gently wrapped her hands around the twin infants, holding them close against her shaking light blue uniform. Mark helped her stand up carefully from the soft mattress so she could sit on a nearby chair. He turned back around to face Nicole, his chest rising and falling with fast, shallow, angry breaths. The bright sunlight streamed through the bedroom windows, illuminating every cold detail of Nicole's perfectly icy expression. She set her wine glass down on the polished wooden dresser with a small, sharp glass clink sound. She crossed her thin arms over her expensive beige gown, looking down her nose at the poor nanny. Mark stepped directly between his cold wife and the injured young woman who was holding his twin daughters.
Mark: Explain to me right now what you were planning to do to my children!
Nicole: They are not your biological children, Mark! They are a total mistake from your late brother!
Mark: That does not matter! My brother passed away, and I legally adopted them into our home!
Nicole: You signed those adoption papers without my full permission, ruining our clear financial plan!
Elena: That is not the full truth, Mr. Mark! She wanted to hide the official birth certificates!
Nicole's calm face cracked for a tiny second as a dark look of anger flashed in her eyes. She took a quick step toward Elena, her high heels clicking loudly on the hard floor. Mark instantly blocked her path, putting his wide hand on her beige shoulder to push her back. Nicole shoved his hand away with a sharp gesture, her voice rising in cold, unnatural fury. She had spent months pretending to love the twin babies while secretly planning to strip their trust fund. The millions left behind in the family estate were meant to secure the babies' long-term future. But Nicole wanted every single penny of that huge inheritance money directed into her personal bank account. She knew that if the adoption went through legally today, she would lose full control over the wealth. So she had tried to force Elena to carry the babies out to a waiting car before Mark returned. When Elena refused to help her commit the crime, Nicole had violently attacked and bound the defenseless nanny. Elena raised her bruised face, her voice steady and clear despite the pain humming through her body.
Elena: She offered me fifty thousand dollars in cash to walk out that front door with them!
Nicole: Keep your mouth shut, you pathetic little girl! You have no proof of anything!
Elena: Check the silver briefcase hidden in the master closet, Mr. Mark! The money is right there!
Mark: Is this true, Nicole? Did you try to bribe our nanny to steal my children?!
Nicole: I was saving us from financial ruin! You are throwing our whole life away for them!
Mark turned his head sharply toward the large walk-in closet located near the master bathroom door. He marched over to the wooden door and pulled it open, reveal rows of designer clothes and shoes. On the top shelf sat a small silver metallic briefcase that he had never seen inside his home before. He reached up, grabbed the heavy handle, and pulled the metal box down to the wide floor. He popped the two metal latches open with a loud click sound that echoed in the quiet room. Inside sat neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills wrapped in white paper bands, totaling a massive sum of money. Mark stared down at the cash, feeling a sick wave of deep disappointment wash completely over his heart. He looked back up at Nicole, who was standing still near the bed with a cold glare. The woman he had married three years ago had transformed into a monster driven purely by extreme greed.
Mark: You used our joint savings account to pull out this cash for a criminal kidnapping!
Nicole: It is my money too, Mark! I deserve that inheritance more than those worthless orphans!
Elena: She was going to leave the state today! She already hired a private jet driver!
Mark pulled his cell phone from his navy suit pocket, his thumb hovering right over the phone keys.