Leo continued crawling toward the grand staircase, looking for his favorite toy.
The bright marble floor was slippery under his small knees.
Victoria stood at the top of the lower landing, looking frustrated.
She had an important phone call to answer regarding her personal accounts.
Leo reached out and touched the lace fabric of her designer gown.
Victoria yanked the fabric away impatiently without looking down carefully.
She shoved the baby backward away from her dress with her foot.
Leo lost his balance on the slick edge of the marble step.
The baby tumbled backward down three steps onto the hard floor.
A loud scream of pain echoed through the empty mansion hall.
Lily gasped from the doorway and ran forward as fast as possible.
Leo lay on the floor crying hysterically, clutching his small knee.
Victoria looked down with a cold expression, showing no instant remorse.
Victoria: He tripped over his own feet, Lily!
Lily: You pushed him with your shoe!
Lily fell to her knees beside her little brother, comforting him.
Just then, the front doors swung open unexpectedly with great force.
Mark had returned early because he forgot an important legal document.
He saw his infant son sobbing on the cold marble floor.
Mark dropped his briefcase instantly and rushed across the grand hallway.
His boots clicked loudly against the polished floor as he ran.
He scooped Leo into his arms, checking for injuries quickly.
Leo hid his tear-streaked face inside his father's dark dress shirt.
Mark turned his eyes toward Victoria, his jaw clenched in anger.
Mark: What happened to my son right now?
Victoria: Mark, he just lost his balance while crawling!
Lily: That is a lie! She kicked him!
Victoria's face turned pale as Lily spoke out loud.
Victoria: Do not listen to her, Mark, she hates me!
Mark looked closely at his daughter's serious, tear-filled eyes.
He knew Lily never lied about important things involving her brother.
Mark stepped closer to Victoria, holding the crying baby firmly.
The air in the grand hallway felt freezing cold and tense.
Victoria stepped backward against the wooden stair railing nervously.
Mark: If you hurt my boy, you will regret it.
Victoria: I would never harm a child, you know me!
Lily pointed her hand straight up toward the corner ceiling.
Lily: Dad, check the footage from that camera right there!
Mark raised his eyes up toward the high white wall.
A small white security dome was mounted directly above the staircase.
Victoria froze as she remembered the recent home security upgrade.
Mark had installed the high-definition system just two weeks earlier.
The camera had a clear angle of the entire grand hallway.