David helped Sarah sit up slowly on the polished checkered floor.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she tried to catch her warm breath.
The mansion house was dead silent as the dark silhouette upstairs quickly disappeared.
David stood up quickly and checked the grand front entrance locks nearby.
He pulled his smartphone from his pocket with quick steady fingers.
He dialed three simple numbers and placed the phone beside his ear.
He explained the emergency location clearly to the fast emergency dispatcher.
Sarah pulled her knees close to her chest on the hard tile.
Sarah: Someone unscrewed the legal support bolts from that balcony railing.
David looked down at her with a mix of anger and concern.
David: Who was staying upstairs in the guest rooms this afternoon?
Sarah: Your cousin Mark came over to discuss the family estate mortgage.
David remembered seeing Mark's bright luxury car parked near the driveway outside.
Mark had been pushing hard for a sudden total sale of the property.
He claimed that the family business was running out of liquid cash.
David had always suspected Mark was hiding a massive personal debt scandal.
He walked over to the scattered papers lying across the pristine floor.
He picked up a yellowed envelope that had fallen out earlier today.
The official seal belonged to a well-known local family law firm.
David opened the official document and read the sharp black letters carefully.
His father had created a hidden trust fund for the entire estate.
The entire fortune was supposed to go directly to the real trust.
Sarah looked up at David with tears streaming down her cold cheeks.
Sarah: Your father wanted to protect us from Mark's desperate greed.
David: Why did you keep this paper secret from me for so long?
Sarah: I was terrified that Mark would try to hurt both of us.
David reached down and gently grabbed his stepmother's shaky right hand.
David: We are going to fix this together right here and right now.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the back hallway near the large sunny kitchen.
David turned his head sharply toward the sound of the approaching steps.
Mark stepped out into the open foyer holding a small black folder.
He looked surprised to see Sarah sitting alive on the high floor.
Mark: What on earth happened to the balcony railing up there?