Arthur ran through the grand front doors of his marble foyer after a long morning at his office.
He stopped dead in his tracks when a sharp scream echoed from the upper landing of the mansion.
His seven-year-old daughter Lily was dangling precariously over the dark wooden balcony railing above.
His new wife Elena stood just two feet behind the terrifying scene with her arms outstretched.
Arthur dropped his expensive leather briefcase onto the floor without thinking twice about the loud noise.
He sprinted forward across the white marble tile as fast as his feet could move him.
Lily lost her grip on the smooth railing and plummeted straight down toward the ground.
Arthur threw his body into a hard slide across the slippery floor to reach her in time.
He extended both arms with every bit of strength left in his panicked body.
Lily fell right into his arms with a heavy impact that knocked the breath out of him.
He pulled her small body against his chest and held her as tightly as he could.
The young girl sobbed loudly against his suit jacket as her whole body shook with extreme fear.
Arthur took several deep breaths to calm his own racing heart while kneeling on the hard floor.
He smoothed down her messy brown hair and kissed the top of her forehead gently.
He checked her arms and legs carefully to ensure she had no broken bones or bad cuts.
Elena stood at the top of the stairs looking down at them with a pale face.
Arthur stood up with his daughter secured firmly in his strong arms and looked up slowly.
His eyes were filled with absolute fury as he locked eyes with his new wife above.
He marched up the grand staircase taking three wide steps at a time without breaking eye contact.
Elena took two steps backward into the hallway while stammering out a rushed explanation.
Arthur reached the top landing and pointed a sharp finger directly at her shocked face.
He told her to never come near his child again and commanded her to leave immediately.