Victoria hurried toward Richard, her face pale as she attempted to craft a quick excuse.
She held up her hands, trembling slightly as she tried to sound entirely innocent and shocked.
She claimed that Maya had tripped near the edge and that she was merely trying to catch her.
Richard stared at her with intense fury burning bright in his eyes.
The calm and gentle executive was completely gone, replaced by a fiercely protective parent.
He pointed a stern finger directly at Victoria, his voice booming across the spacious hall.
He accused her of deliberately endangering his child, refusing to accept her desperate explanations.
Victoria stepped back, shocked by the overwhelming power of Richard's righteous anger.
She tried to reach out toward him, but Richard stepped backward, shielding Maya completely.
He ordered Victoria to stay away, his tone leaving no room for argument or negotiation.
Victoria began to cry, insisting that he was misinterpreting the frantic situation.
She argued that she had lived with them for months and would never do such a thing.
Richard recalled every red flag and strange comment she had ever made about their money.
The pieces of the puzzle clicked together in his mind with terrifying clarity.
He realized that Victoria saw Maya as an obstacle to her complete control over his estate.
The emotional betrayal cut deep, but his primary concern remained his young daughter's safety.
Maya held onto Richard tightly, looking down at Victoria with wide, tearful eyes.
The heavy quiet returned to the room, thick with tension and broken trust.
Richard demanded that Victoria pack her belongings and leave his property immediately.
He made it clear that their engagement was officially over and permanently destroyed.