The front heavy wooden double doors crashed open with a loud, sudden bang.
Mark bolted straight into the grand lower foyer with desperate, sweeping strides.
He was the family security Director and a trusted lifelong friend of Clara.
He had just parked his dark sedan right outside the front glass steps.
His sharp eyes instantly caught the sudden flurry of movement high above him.
He saw Clara slipping over the bright white balcony balustrade up high.
Mark: Clara!
Mark Sprint shirt sleeves strained as he sprinted across the hard marble floor.
He threw his whole body forward into a desperate, leaping catch position below.
Clara fell straight down toward the hard stone floor of the foyer below.
The wind whipped violently through her loose brown hair as she dropped fast.
She squeezed her eyes completely shut and prepared for a horrible, painful landing.
Instead, two extremely strong black-suited arms wrapped securely around her fragile frame.
Mark caught her smoothly just inches above the polished marble entrance floor.
The heavy impact forced him down onto one knee with a sharp grunt.
He held her tightly against his chest until both of them stopped moving entirely.
Mark: I have got you, Clara. You are safe now.
Clara opened her tear-filled eyes and stared directly up into his familiar face.
Her entire body trembled violently like a leaf caught in a strong wind storm.
Clara: She... she pushed me!
Mark: I saw what she did with my own eyes from the door.
Mark helped Clara stand up carefully onto her own shaking, unsteadied feet.
He kept one steady arm wrapped firmly around her waist for constant support.
His face hardened into an expression of unbridled, freezing cold rage and anger.
He looked directly up toward the upper balcony where Victoria stood completely frozen.
Victoria: It was an unfortunate accident! She tripped on her long pajamas!
Mark: Do not move a single muscle up there, Victoria!
Mark pulled his personal smartphone directly from his front black jacket pocket.
His thick thumb tapped the glass screen with quick, aggressive precision and force.
He pressed the small phone tightly against his ear while keeping his gaze locked up.
Mark: Call the police right now and send an ambulance to this address!
Victoria took a slow step backward away from the sharp marble edge above.
Her face went entirely pale white as she realized what she had done.