Mark walked back down the bright hallway to check on his frightened children.
Emily sat quietly on a plush leather sofa in the building's main reception room.
The security guard held the baby boy while gently rocking him back and forth.
Mark sat next to Emily and gently took her small hand in his own.
Mark: Emily, did mommy ask you to bring your backpack into the building?
Emily: Yes, daddy, she said I had to hold the papers inside it.
Mark looked closely at the grey carrier backpack sitting on the floor next to her.
He noticed that the side zippers were packed tightly with thick paper envelopes.
He carefully unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a stack of financial statements.
The documents contained private bank records and signatures that did not belong to him.
Mark scanned the pages quickly and felt his pulse racing inside his chest.
Sarah had been transferring company funds into offshore accounts for over two years.
She had forged his signature on dozens of corporate transfers and loan guarantees.
The total amount taken from the business reached over three million dollars.
Mark realized that Sarah was using the children's backpack to transport stolen documents.
She intended to frame him for financial fraud while taking complete control of the firm.
Mark: Emily, did mommy tell you what was inside this grey bag?
Emily: She told me it was important work for her new home.
Mark: Did she say anything else before she left you near the doors?
Emily: She said we were never coming back to our old house again.
Mark squeezed his eyes shut to hold back tears of anger and bitter betrayal.
He had given Sarah everything she ever wanted throughout seven years of marriage.
He bought her a luxury mansion, expensive cars, and complete financial freedom.
In return, she was willing to destroy his reputation and abandon their young children.
Mark pulled out his smartphone and dialed his private corporate legal counsel directly.
Mark: David, get down to the ground floor lobby right now with police officers.
David: Mark, what is going on down there right now?
Mark: My wife is trying to flee the state with stolen company assets.
Mark stood up and locked the grey backpack inside a secure locker behind the front desk.
He looked at his brave young daughter and kissed her softly on her forehead.
Mark: Stay here with the guard, sweetie, everything will be fixed very soon.