Mark reached the wide landing where Victoria was standing quietly near the wall.
Her dark hair was styled neatly without a single strand out of place.
She looked down at her polished nails as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Mark stopped just two feet away from her with fire in his eyes.
Lily hid her face deeper into Mark's neck and let out another quiet sob.
Mark: What happened on these steps right before I walked into the house?
Victoria: Your daughter lost her footing because she was running too fast.
Mark: She is terrified of these steep stairs and never runs down them!
Victoria: Children get careless when they are playing by themselves, Mark.
Mark: You did this on purpose! You scared her on those top steps!
Victoria took a quick step backward toward the wall behind her in shock.
Her eyes opened wide as if she could not believe his harsh tone.
She held her hand over her chest as if she was deeply offended.
Victoria: How dare you accuse me of harming your own daughter!
Mark: Look at her face! She has never cried like this in her whole life!
Victoria: She is making up stories to get my attention away from you!
Mark: Never touch my child or come near her again!
Victoria backed up further until her heel hit the decorative wooden baseboard.
She lost her balance for a second and gasped out loud in fear.
Her hand reached out and caught the solid brass banister just in time.
The fake look of shock on her face quickly turned into bitter annoyance.
Mark narrowed his eyes as he watched her quick recovery on the landing.
He knew his wife cared far more about money than family peace.
The huge trust fund left by Lily's late mother was no secret to Victoria.
Mark had signed a strict prenup before marrying Victoria six months ago.
He remembered how keen she was to manage Lily's future inheritance directly.
Now a dark thought planted itself firmly inside his troubled mind.
He needed to find out the real truth behind this dangerous incident.