Margarethe grabbed the pearl necklace tightly and held the sharp blades against the string.
Clara froze in terror as she felt the cold metal against her warm skin.
Margarethe: You will give up your claim to this mansion tonight!
Clara: Please stop, Margarethe, you are going to hurt someone!
Margarethe: I do not care about your safety anymore, girl!
With a loud snip, the thread snapped completely in two pieces.
Dozens of smooth white pearls spilled out and scattered across the marble landing.
Clara cried out in distress as her precious family heirloom fell apart.
Clara: My necklace! How could you do such a cruel thing?
Margarethe: That is just a small sample of what you will lose today!
Margarethe shoved Clara violently backward toward the edge of the grand staircase.
Clara lost her footing on the slick pearls that were bouncing down the steps.
She stumbled backward through the open air above the massive foyer below.
Her hands reached out wildly, trying to grab onto anything to break her fall.
The framed flag on the tall wall blurred past as she tumbled down the steps.
Clara: Somebody help me, please!
Suddenly a strong pair of arms caught Clara right before she struck the floor.
It was Mark, her brother's best friend who had been searching for her downstairs.
Mark wore a heavy leather jacket and caught Clara securely against his chest.
The heavy impact made him slide across the polished white marble floor.
Pearls bounced around them like heavy raindrops hitting a cold window frame.
Mark: I have got you, Clara, you are safe now!
Clara: Mark! Thank God you were here in the foyer!
Mark: Are you hurt anywhere? Talk to me right now!
Clara wept hysterically as she buried her face into Mark's dark jacket.
She held onto his shoulders with shaking fingers as her body trembled.
Clara: She pushed me! She tried to kill me over the papers!
Mark: Who did this to you? Tell me who did this!
Clara: Margarethe! She cut my necklace and pushed me down the stairs!
Mark looked up toward the top landing with a cold and furious glare.
Margarethe was standing near the banister, holding the scissors with a proud sneer.
She looked down at them without a single grain of mercy or regret in her eyes.
Margarethe: She tripped on her own long dress, Mark, it was an accident!
Mark: Do not lie to me while you stand there holding those scissors!
Margarethe: You have no business interfering in family matters, young man.
Mark: I saw what you did with my own eyes from the front hallway!
Mark gently set Clara down against the soft cushions of the hall sofa.
He stood up slowly and adjusted his heavy jacket with a hardened jawline.
Mark: I will handle her right now, Clara.
Clara: Please be careful, Mark, she has completely lost control!
Mark: She will answer for what she did to you and your father.
Mark began stepping up the grand staircase one slow step at a time.
Margarethe's confident expression began to melt into real panic and sudden fear.