By afternoon the heat outside the Dallas home became heavy and warm.
Leo sat near the window playing with his tiny blue toy cars.
Elena wiped the dust off the dark mahogany furniture in the library.
Suddenly she heard loud sharp scolding coming from the upper hallway.
Victoria was standing directly over young Leo with a cold dark scowl.
Victoria: Pick up those cheap toys right now, you annoying brat!
Leo: I am sorry, I will move them into my bedroom.
Victoria: You leave your useless things everywhere in my way!
Leo reached down quickly with trembling hands to grab his car.
Victoria deliberately stepped on the small plastic toy with heavy force.
The toy cracked loudly under her sharp designer shoe on the floor.
Leo looked up with huge tears brimming in his bright blue eyes.
Leo: My mommy gave me that toy before she passed away!
Victoria: Nobody cares about your old useless toys in this house!
Elena rushed up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her.
She put her body directly between Victoria and the small weeping boy.
Elena: Please leave the child alone, Miss Victoria!
Victoria: Step back before I fire you on the spot, servant!
Elena: You have no right to treat him with such harsh cruelty.
Victoria: I will be the mistress of this estate very soon.
Victoria: I can throw both of you out onto the street.
Elena stood her ground without backing down an inch from Victoria.
She gently gathered Leo into her arms and held him tight.
Leo buried his teary face into Elena's soft cotton maid uniform.
Victoria gave a cruel bitter chuckle before turning her back on them.
Victoria: Enjoy your little job while it still lasts, maid.
Elena carried Leo downstairs into the safe warmth of the kitchen.
She sat him down on a chair and wiped his wet cheeks.
Elena: It is okay now, Leo. I am right here with you.
Leo: Why does Victoria hate me so much, Elena?
Elena: It is not your fault at all, sweet little boy.
Leo: I wish my daddy would come back home right now.
Elena: Your daddy will return from his business trip very soon.
Elena knew she had to take serious action to secure proof.
Words alone would never convince Richard to cancel his upcoming wedding.
Richard was deeply blind to Victoria's fake sweet behavior when present.
Whenever Richard called home on video Victoria acted like an angel.
She spoke with gentle affection and kissed Leo on the cheek.
As soon as the call ended the sweet smile disappeared instantly.
Elena knew that only solid evidence would tear away the lie.
She remembered the security camera system installed high on the walls.
The estate had dozens of lens sensors monitoring every major hallway.
However the master controls were locked inside Richard's locked home office.
Elena did not have the key to access the main camera servers.
She needed a clever way to document what was happening inside.
She decided to keep her own phone recording in her apron pocket.
Every shift became a dangerous mission to protect an innocent child.
Elena watched every move Victoria made around the grand white staircase.
She felt that something dangerous was growing closer every passing hour.