Richard sat in his quiet study while looking at old family photo frames on his desk.
The sunlight poured through the window and lit up the large white foyer outside.
He had spent five years building his life back up after losing his first wife.
His young daughter Maya was the most important person in his entire world.
When he married Evelyn two years ago, he thought he was giving Maya a loving mother.
Evelyn came from a wealthy background and always wore expensive gowns around the house.
She was cold toward Maya whenever Richard was not looking directly at them.
Richard tried his best to ignore the small warning signs in their daily routine.
He wanted his small family to be happy and peaceful above everything else.
That morning, the whole house felt tense as they prepared for an upcoming charity event.
Evelyn was dressed in a light lavender gown that swept across the marble floor.
She was busy organizing papers for the family trust fund on the kitchen island.
Maya was playing quietly with her plastic building blocks near the grand staircase.
Richard went upstairs to grab his light grey suit jacket from the master bedroom.
He stopped near the top landing when he heard loud whispering downstairs.
Evelyn was speaking sharply to someone on her cell phone near the front door.
Evelyn: If the lawyer changes the will today, we lose everything.
Evelyn: Maya gets the entire estate when she turns eighteen.
Richard froze near the balcony railing as he listened to her harsh tone.
He had never heard Evelyn speak with so much anger and greed before.
His heart raced as he realized she was talking about his daughter's future inheritance.
He stepped closer to the edge to hear the rest of her private conversation.
Maya dropped a plastic block, and it bounced down the marble steps with a click.
Evelyn hung up her phone quickly and turned around to look at the toddler.
Her face looked strict and cold as she stepped toward the small girl.
Richard felt a sudden surge of worry rising deep inside his chest.