Victoria tapped the heavy leather binder against the cold brass rail with a loud thud.
Every guest in the grand foyer stared up at her in utter disbelief and shock.
Mark started moving toward the bottom of the grand staircase with swift, purposeful steps.
He did not want his stepmother to cause a scene in front of their guests.
Sarah stepped back into the crowd, holding her precious child safely against her shoulder.
She could see the pure malice shining brightly in Victoria's dark, unforgiving eyes.
Victoria pulled a thick stack of original legal papers directly out of the binder.
These were the original property deeds and land grants passed down for four generations.
Without those physical master documents, proving full ownership would become a lengthy legal nightmare.
Mark raised his hand as he called out to his father's bitter widow once again.
Mark: Put those legal papers away right now before you make a mistake!
Victoria: You think you own this entire house, but you own nothing!
Sarah: Victoria, please do not do something you will regret forever!
Victoria: The only thing I regret is letting your father treat me poorly!
Victoria stepped right up to the balcony edge, holding the documents out over space.
The guests gasped loudly as they realized she was going to drop them down.
The white marble floor below was hard, and a large decorative fountain sat right beneath.
If the delicate historic papers fell into the running water, they would be ruined instantly.
Mark broke into a fast run across the wide expanse of white marble floor.
His shoes clicked loudly against the hard stone as panic gripped his mind tight.
He knew how much his late father had cared about those historic family papers.
Victoria smirked cold-heartedly as she opened her fingers right over the balcony edge.
The heavy papers slipped from her grip and fell fast through the bright air.
Several women in the crowd screamed in shock as the papers fluttered downward quickly.
Mark lunged forward with both hands outstretched near the base of the staircase.
He dove across the floor, reaching out with every ounce of strength in his body.
The thick stack of papers missed the fountain by mere inches, slamming onto stone.
Mark slid across the polished marble, catching the edge of the stack in time.
He held his breath as he pulled the historic documents safely against his chest.
The crowd let out a collective sigh of intense relief at Mark's swift save.
Sarah rushed over to her husband's side to ensure he was not hurt badly.
Mark looked up from the floor, his eyes burning with intense emotional fury now.
He stood up slowly, clutching the safe property documents tightly in his right hand.
His eyes locked onto Victoria, who was laughing mockingly from the high balcony rail.