By late afternoon, the sunlight poured bright and clear through the grand floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Sarah walked through the wide hall carrying baby Lily wrapped securely in a cozy pink blanket.
The infant cooed softly while reaching out her small hands toward the bright afternoon light.
Suddenly, the high double doors to the private study slammed open with a sharp bang.
Evelyn marched out into the hallway holding a thick leather folder packed with white legal pages.
Those pages contained the original family trust fund details signed by Richard’s late wife.
"Where did you put the spare key to the master safe?" Evelyn demanded in a harsh voice.
"I do not have access to Mr. Sterling’s private safe key, ma'am," Sarah replied cautiously.
"Do not lie to me, you little thief!" Evelyn yelled, stepping closer with a red face.
"I am no thief, and I only touch items related to Lily’s care," Sarah said firmly.
Evelyn let out a bitter laugh that echoed off the white walls of the foyer.
"This child does not deserve to inherit this mansion or the company assets," Evelyn sneered.
"Her mother made those legal plans to ensure she would always be cared for safely," Sarah countered.
Evelyn reached out aggressively and tried to snatch the pink blanket right off the infant.
Sarah pulled back quickly to keep the little girl safe from the angry woman’s reach.
"How dare you pull away from me in my own home!" Evelyn screamed in sharp rage.
"You are scaring the baby, please calm down!" Sarah pleaded as Lily began to cry.
The sound of the crying child only seemed to make Evelyn’s dark mood much worse.
She turned on her heel and rushed up the open stairs toward the second-floor balcony railing.
From high up on the balcony, she held the important trust fund file over the edge.
"If I throw these documents into the furnace, nobody can prove her inheritance!" Evelyn shouted.
Sarah stood in the center of the foyer below, holding the baby tightly in her arms.
"Those papers protect her future mortgage and trust fund rights!" Sarah called out in panic.
"I do not care about her future at all!" Evelyn yelled back with complete malice.
She pulled a single sheet out and tore it right down the middle with a loud rip.
The torn paper fluttered down through the bright air toward the white marble floor below.
Sarah watched in complete horror as the priceless family legal document was torn up.
She knew she had to take action before everything was permanently destroyed by greed.
Her mind raced to find a way to stop the cruel woman on the balcony above.
She held the crying child tightly and looked for an escape route near the front door.