Richard stepped out from under the grand staircase, locking the security room door behind him with a sharp click. As he turned the corner into the foyer, he saw Victoria standing near the front doors.
Victoria stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, now wearing a tailored beige suit, holding a leather handbag and her car keys.
Victoria: Richard! Where are you going in such a rush?
Richard: Leaving so soon, Victoria?
Victoria: I have an urgent appointment with the trust management board downtown. We have a meeting about the mansion's property insurance.
Richard: The board doesn't open until ten o'clock. It's barely nine-thirty.
Victoria: Well, I wanted to clear up this silly misunderstanding before I go. You seemed so stressed up there.
Richard: Stressed? My daughter was almost killed.
Victoria: And I'm sure it was an awful accident! But you shouldn't let your emotions cloud your judgment, Richard. You're the CEO of Vance Enterprises. You need to keep a clear head.
Richard: You know, my father always told me you were ambitious, Victoria. But I never thought you were capable of this.
Victoria: Capable of what? Trying to help this family keep its dignity?
Richard: Capable of trying to kill my child for a trust fund settlement.
Victoria gasped dramatically, holding her handbag close to her chest while taking two small steps back toward the marble exit.
Victoria: That is slander! I have been a devoted wife to your father and a grandmother to those kids!
Richard: You deleted the security footage from the main server ten minutes ago.
Victoria's hands trembled slightly, but she quickly pressed her lips together and tried to maintain her calm, arrogant smile.
Victoria: I don't know what tech nonsense you are talking about. I don't even know how to use that computer room.
Richard: You forgot about my father's cloud backup system. The dual-mirror server records every single camera in real time to an off-site drive.
Victoria's fake smile completely faded. Her face grew pale, and her eyes darted nervously toward the heavy mahogany front doors.
Victoria: That... that system was supposed to be deactivated last year during the remodel.
Richard: I kept it active. I watched the video, Victoria. I saw you carry the chair. I saw you lift Mia's legs over the ledge.
Victoria: Richard, listen to me carefully. We can work this out inside the family without making a public scene.
Richard: Work it out? You tried to murder a five-year-old girl!
Victoria: It wasn't personal! That trust fund was meant for me! Your father promised me half the estate before he died!
Richard: He changed his will because he knew what kind of snake you were. You get nothing.
Victoria suddenly reached into her handbag, pulling out a small set of brass keys and rushing straight for the front exit.
Victoria: Get out of my way, Richard!
Richard: You aren't going anywhere, Victoria.
Richard stepped forward, blocking the massive front door with his towering frame. He crossed his arms, staring down at his stepmother with fierce determination.
Victoria: Let me pass! You have no legal right to detain me here!
Richard: The police are already at the estate gates. Hear those sirens coming up the driveway?
Distant police sirens echoed through the manicured grounds of the mansion, growing louder with every passing second as Victoria backed away in sheer terror.