Daniel rushed around the corner after hearing his young son's panicked cries for help.
He saw Leo sitting on the cold floor and immediately sprinted to his side.
Daniel dropped to his knees and scooped the crying child into a tight hug.
He stroked Leo's hair gently, trying to calm the boy's frantic breathing.
"Daddy is here," Daniel whispered, holding his son close against his chest.
Leo buried his face in his father's shoulder, still trembling from the confrontation.
"She locked Grandma inside the vault, Daddy!" the little boy sobbed loudly.
Daniel slowly raised his head, his eyes locking onto his wife with fierce anger.
Victoria stepped back slightly, surprised by the intensity of her husband's intense glare.
She tried to smooth down her satin blouse, adjusting her hair with trembling fingers.
"Don't you ever lay a hand near my son!" Daniel shouted loudly.
His voice cut through the quiet hallway like a sharp knife through paper.
Victoria opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat.
"Daniel, the child is making up stories," Victoria claimed, holding her head high.
"He was messing with the security system and I had to stop him."
Daniel stood up slowly, keeping Leo safe behind his tall frame.
He looked at the giant steel vault door standing at the end of the hall.
He had not used that private vault since his father passed away years ago.
The heavy iron wheel remained turned tightly in its locked position.
A strange, sickening suspicion began to grow inside Daniel's chest.
He looked back at Victoria, who refused to meet his steady gaze.
"If there is nothing in there, why are you so nervous?" Daniel asked firmly.
Victoria swallowed hard, stepping closer to the large American flag on the wall.
She realized that her carefully constructed plan was starting to unravel very fast.