One ongoing plotline was Marla's adoption of Darron, the abandoned son of Erica Von Kampf and Gary Hale (Marla's former fiancé), who had been married after Marla and Gary split. Marla was unaware of the toddler's parentage but, she rescued him in Brazil from the brutal guardianship of Dr. Diman Saraf, who planned to use him in a deadly experiment. She was initially denied custody of the boy because she was a single woman, which broke her heart but, her courage and heroism in the rescue eventually won over the authorities. The Baroness always carried a pistol in her purse.