Elena took Julian's hand without hesitating for a single second.
They walked briskly past the frozen crowd toward the large front doors.
Margarethe shouted for the guards to lock the wrought-iron security gates.
The main gates clicked shut with a heavy mechanical iron lock sound.
Julian pulled Elena behind a massive marble pillar near the front foyer.
"We need to get to the side garage fast," Julian whispered quickly.
"There is an old service elevator near the kitchen," Elena remembered suddenly.
They ran down the quiet side hallway past lined antique oil paintings.
Behind them, heavy footsteps echoed on the hard tile floor as guards searched.
Julian kept his arm around Elena to steady her shaking shoulders.
They reached the narrow metal door of the private service elevator.
Julian pressed the rusty call button three times in quick succession.
The small elevator cab arrived with a low mechanical groan.
They stepped inside just as two guards turned the corner of the hall.
"Stop right there!" the lead guard shouted as he ran forward.
Julian pressed the basement button and hit the door close lever hard.
The heavy iron doors slid shut right before the guard reached them.
The elevator lowered slowly into the dark lower levels of the mansion.
Elena leaned back against the cold wall and wiped her teary eyes.
"Why did my father keep all of this a secret from me?" she asked softly.
"He wanted to protect you from the greed inside this family," Julian answered.
"He knew Margarethe would stop at nothing to claim the legal inheritance."
"She destroyed the only thing my mother left behind for me," Elena sobbed.
Julian reached into his deep jacket pocket and pulled out a small black box.
"She cut the chain, but she did not get the main stone," Julian said.
He opened the velvet box to reveal the large central bright diamond.
"I caught it when the necklace shattered on the upper balcony," he smiled softly.
Elena gasped as she looked at the shining gem in his open hand.
"You saved the most important piece of my mother's memory," she whispered.
The elevator came to a sudden halt at the concrete basement level.
The iron doors slid open to reveal the dimly lit underground garage.
Julian stepped out first to make sure the private path was clear.
"My car is parked near the side exit door," Julian told her quietly.
They moved quickly through the shadowy garage toward a black motorcycle.
Suddenly, the bright headlights of a large black SUV flashed on behind them.