Daniel stepped directly beside Elena, who was crying and screaming for help with all the strength left in her lungs. Elena tried to block the knife with her shoulder, but Victoria grabbed Elena's hair from behind and yanked her back violently. Elena's hands slipped down two inches on the cord, burning her palms, but she refused to open her fingers entirely.
With a single swift motion, Daniel pressed the sharp blade against the stretched rope just above Elena's hands. The thick fibers began to fray and pop under the tension. The sound of individual threads snapping rang out clearly in the warm wind like tiny gunshots.
Elena: NO! DANIEL, STOP! YOU ARE KILLING THEM BOTH!
Sarah: DANIEL!
Daniel: It's over.
The rope snapped completely in two with a sharp crack. The sudden release of weight threw Elena backward onto the hard stone floor, her elbows slamming against the tiles. Sarah let out a long, terrified scream as her grip slipped off the severed end of the cord. She fell backward into the open sky, her light blue dress whipping around her as she plummeted down toward the deep blue swimming pool twenty floors below.
Elena scrambled on her knees to the edge of the glass wall, shouting Sarah's name into the air. But as Sarah fell, Elena threw herself forward, jumping over the low glass wall in a desperate attempt to grab Sarah's dress. The wind roared in Elena's ears as both women fell together through the open space above the courtyard.
Below them, the bright blue water of the massive luxury pool rushed upward at terrifying speed. The surface of the pool reflected the clear sky like a giant mirror. A second later, both bodies hit the water with a thunderous splash that sent a massive wave of white foam over the surrounding stone tiles and patio lounge chairs.
Up on the balcony, Victoria wiped a drop of water off her linen suit and looked down into the pool basin. She adjusted her diamond ring and turned to her son, who was quietly folding his knife back into his pocket.
Victoria: Did anyone see from the lower floor windows?
Daniel: No. The blinds on the floor below are all closed today.
Victoria: Call our legal team immediately. We will tell the police it was a tragic accident during balcony maintenance.
Daniel: What about the maid? She jumped right after her.
Victoria: Two tragic accidents are just as easy to explain as one.