Elena wiped her wet face with the back of her trembling hand.
The stinging pain on her cheek was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.
She had cared for baby Emma since the day the child came home from the hospital.
Carter Vance had always been a reasonable boss, but his temper had taken total control.
Victoria stepped closer to Carter's side, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder.
Victoria: It is okay now, darling. You protected your little girl.
Carter: I cannot believe someone I trusted would do this.
Elena: Mr. Vance, I swear on my mother's life I did not push that stroller.
Victoria: Stop lying, Elena! You are just trying to save your job!
Victoria turned her sharp gaze toward the crying maid standing on the cold marble floor.
Victoria: You were careless, or worse, you did it out of pure spite!
Elena: I was grabbing a clean cloth from my supply cart!
Victoria: The cart is ten feet away from the staircase landing, Elena.
Victoria: Strollers do not just roll down heavy stairs on their own.
Carter looked down at the carpeted stairs, his chest heaving with heavy breaths.
The logic seemed completely clear in his grief-stricken mind at that chaotic moment.
Victoria had been sitting in the dining room near the foyer when the noise started.
She had no obvious reason to invent such a horrible story about a simple maid.
Elena looked between the couple, feeling completely isolated in the massive mansion.
She was just an employee, while Victoria was about to become the lady of the house.
Carter: Pack your things, Elena. You are done here today.
Elena: Please, sir, let me at least explain what I saw!
Carter: I do not want to hear another word from your mouth.
Victoria: We should call the police right now so she faces legal consequences.
Victoria: She put an innocent baby's life in danger today.
Elena shrank back, the word 'lawsuit' hanging heavily in the tense air between them.
She lived on a tight budget and could never afford a high-priced defense lawyer.
If charges were filed, her entire life and future would be ruined forever.
She looked up at the ceiling, wondering how a normal morning had turned into a nightmare.
Suddenly, the soft tap of rubber-soled shoes sounded from the upper balcony steps.
Carter's twelve-year-old daughter from his first marriage, Chloe, walked slowly down the stairs.
She wore a bright light green sweater and held a dark electronic tablet tightly in her hands.
Her young face was calm, but her sharp eyes were fixed directly on Victoria.
Chloe: Nobody is calling the police until you see this, Dad.
Carter: Chloe, go back to your room right now, honey.
Chloe: No, Dad. You made a huge mistake just now.
Victoria's polished expression flickered slightly as she looked up at the young girl.
Victoria: Chloe, sweetie, this is an adult matter that does not concern you.
Chloe: It concerns everyone who lives in this house, Victoria.
Chloe walked past her father and stopped directly in front of the marble staircase.
She tapped the glass screen of her tablet with a deliberate digital sound.
The tension in the sunlit room spiked as everyone turned to look at the child.
Elena held her breath, not knowing what the quiet young girl was planning to reveal.
Carter frowned, looking at his oldest daughter's serious face with growing confusion.
Chloe tilted the screen forward so her father could see the crisp video display clearly.