The massive wooden entrance doors slammed open with a loud thundering crack.
Richard Vance stepped into the grand hall holding a leather briefcase.
He stopped immediately as the sound of weeping and arguing reached his ears.
He looked up toward the high balcony beneath the prominent American flag.
He saw his wife standing over Elena, who was clutching Maya protectively.
The scattered trust documents lay visible on the polished floor upper landing.
Richard: What on earth is happening in my house right now?
Richard dropped his briefcase onto the marble floor and sprinted up the stairs.
His heavy dress shoes clattered rapidly against the white marble steps.
Clarissa instantly changed her facial expression from anger to fake panic.
She forced tears into her eyes and held her hands over her chest.
Clarissa: Richard, thank goodness you are home! The maid went completely insane!
Elena: That is not true, Mr. Vance! Please look at these papers on the floor!
Richard reached the top landing, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.
He looked down at his daughter, whose face was flushed and wet with tears.
Maya reached out her small hands toward her father instantly.
Maya: Daddy! Daddy help!
Richard took his crying daughter into his strong arms and held her close.
Richard: Maya, I've got you. No, you will never touch her again!
He looked down at the scattered papers and saw his daughter's trust fund deed.
The private code lock on his office safe had clearly been tampered with.
He glared at Clarissa with an intensity she had never seen before.
Clarissa: Richard, please listen to me! She tried to steal those documents!
Elena: She tried to lock Maya away so she could take the inheritance, sir!
Clarissa: She is a liar! You cannot take the word of a house servant over mine!
Richard looked closely at the camera mounted inside the hallway smoke detector.
He remembered that he had installed a security feed synced directly to his phone.