Mark held the young girl against his chest, feeling how light her body was beneath the blue blanket. The child rested her cheek against his shoulder, her tiny hands clutching the fabric of his blue shirt. Lily stepped closer, touching the girl's trembling arm with gentle care.
Lily: See, Daddy? I told you she was nice.
Mark: Sweetheart, how many times did you bring her food?
Lily: Every night when Mommy went upstairs to take a bath. I gave her my bread and apples.
Mark: You are a brave girl, Lily. A very good girl.
Mark stood up slowly, keeping the girl held securely in his arms. He turned around to face Victoria, his eyes red from weeping, but his face hardened into an expression of pure rage.
Mark: You kept a child locked in a closet in my house, Victoria. How could you be so cruel?
Victoria: I had to, Mark! She showed up at our estate three weeks ago with a letter from your father's divorce lawyer!
Mark: A letter? What kind of letter?
Victoria: Your late father had a secret daughter ten years ago! He kept her hidden in a private school in Austin until he died last spring!
Mark: My father had another daughter?
Victoria: Yes! And in his final will, he declared that fifty percent of the family business, this mansion, and his life insurance goes directly to her!
Mark: So you locked her in a closet to keep her from claiming her inheritance?
Victoria: If the court finds out she exists, our shares in the company fall below fifty percent! We would lose control of the board of directors! We would lose our fortune!
Girl: I didn't want the money, mister... I just wanted my picture.
Mark looked down at the child's hands. She was still holding the small wooden picture frame she had been clutching inside the dark space. Inside the glass was a photograph of Mark's late father holding a tiny baby in a hospital room, smiling brightly.
Mark: What is your name, sweetie?
Girl: My name is Ella.
Mark: Ella... you're my sister. You're my little sister.
Victoria: She is a threat to our entire future, Mark! If she files a custody claim through a guardian, the state will audit all our family assets!
Mark: I don't care about the company, Victoria! I don't care about the money!
Victoria: You say that now, but how are we going to pay for Lily's private school? How are we going to maintain this luxury house?
Mark: We will sell the mansion! We will move into a smaller home! We will do whatever we must, but we will not act like heartless monsters!
Victoria: I did this for us! I did this to keep our family wealthy!
Mark: You didn't do this for us, Victoria. You did this because you were afraid of losing your luxury cars and your country club status!
Mark walked past Victoria, carrying Ella down the wide hallway toward the bright kitchen. Lily followed right beside them, holding onto her father's belt. Victoria stood alone near the open closet, her hands shaking as the consequences of her choices began to crash down on her.
Mark: Lily, go get a glass of water and fresh juice for Ella right now.
Lily: Okay, Daddy! I'll get the big cup!
Mark: Ella, I am setting you down on this chair. You are safe now. Nobody is ever going to put you in that room again.
Ella: Promise?
Mark: I promise on my life.