The metal blades clicked shut with a loud and sharp cutting sound.
The strong silk thread snapped instantly under the pressure of the scissor blades.
Dozens of loose white pearls began bouncing wildly across the hard marble floor.
Clara reached out desperately to catch the falling beads before they rolled away.
Her foot slipped on the slick surface near the edge of the top step.
Clara: Ahhh!
She lost her footing completely and began falling backward over the staircase step.
The white pearls flew through the air like small falling drops of rain.
Clara held out her hands helplessly as she lost all sense of balance.
She looked down toward the hard white floor many feet below her.
Panic surged through her chest as the wind rushed past her ears.
Eleanor stood at the top of the stairs watching the fall with a cold expression.
She did not reach out a hand to help or offer any assistance.
Suddenly, heavy leather boots slammed loudly against the marble floor near the front entry.
Mark sprinted forward from the side corridor like a flash of lightning.
He wore a dark leather jacket and had come just in time to visit Clara.
He saw Clara falling through the air and reacted with incredible speed.
Mark: Clara! I've got you!
Mark lunged across the smooth floor with his arms wide open.
He dove underneath the bottom step just as Clara came falling downward.
He wrapped his strong arms securely around her waist to break her fall.
The force of the catch brought them both down onto the cool floor surface.
They slid across the white marble together as loose pearls rolled around them.
A loud thud echoed loudly through the immense two-story grand entry hall.
Mark held Clara closely against his chest to protect her head from hitting anything.
The scattered pearls clinked softly against the floor tiles around their bodies.
Clara trembled uncontrollably as she gasped for air inside Mark's firm embrace.
Mark: Are you alright? Talk to me, Clara!
Clara: Mark... Oh god, Mark!
She buried her face in his jacket while sobbing heavily from the intense shock.
Mark gently leaned over her face to check her for any physical injuries.
His face was filled with deep worry and mounting anger at what had just happened.
Mark: Did she push you? Did you hurt your head?
Clara: She cut the strand... She took the center bead!
Mark looked around the floor at the scattered white pearls resting everywhere.
He noticed that the special hollow center pearl was missing from the group.
That specific bead contained the encrypted memory drive holding all the legal financial evidence.
Clara: She caught it... She caught the drive before I fell!
Clara's eyes filled with fresh tears as she pointed toward the high balcony.
Mark lifted his head slowly while his jaw set into a hard line.
He stared straight up toward the top of the grand marble staircase.
Eleanor was standing right near the railing while holding the small silver item.
She stared down at them with a smug and heartless look on her face.
Eleanor: You always were careless, Clara.