Elena stood firmly between the crying child and the panicked woman in satin.
Leo was trembling violently while clinging tightly to the back of Elena's navy coat.
Victoria took a quick step backward, her high heels grinding against broken glass.
Victoria: You do not understand what is happening here, so stay out of it!
Elena: I understand that you trapped a little boy inside a dark wall!
Victoria: It was just a temporary measure for a few short hours today!
Elena: Locking a child behind a painting is never acceptable under any circumstances!
Victoria: He was distracting the lawyers who arrived to review his grandfather's will!
Elena felt a sudden chill run down her spine at those strange words.
The wealthy patriarch of the family had passed away just three short weeks ago.
He had left behind a massive fortune, including this mansion and millions in cash.
Leo was the late billionaire's only biological grandson and primary legal heir.
Victoria was only the second wife of Leo's late father, with no blood relation.
Elena: You kept him out of sight so the estate lawyers would not see him?
Victoria: His presence complicates the official paperwork that needs to be signed today!
Elena: You are trying to steal his legal inheritance while he is trapped!
Victoria straightened her posture and tried to regain her cool, arrogant authority.
Victoria: I am the mistress of this house, and you are just a hired worker!
Elena: My job is to manage this house, not cover up terrible crimes!
Victoria: If you speak a word of this to anyone, you will be fired!
Elena: I do not care about this job if it means hurting a child!
Leo looked up at Elena with tear-stained cheeks and a trembling small chin.
Leo: She told me we were playing a game of secret hide and seek.
Leo: Then she shut the picture door and locked it from the outside.
Leo: I cried and screamed for help, but nobody could hear my voice.
Elena crouched down so she was at eye level with the frightened young boy.
Elena: You are safe with me now, Leo, and nobody will lock you away again.
Victoria pulled a small silver key out of her satin dress pocket quickly.
She stepped toward Elena with an angry, desperate look in her dark eyes.
Victoria: Give me the boy right now before you ruin everything I built!
Elena: Stay back from us, Victoria, or I will call the police immediately!
Victoria laughed bitterly, though her hands were shaking uncontrollably with deep fear.
Victoria: The local police are close personal friends of my powerful family estate.
Victoria: Nobody will take the word of a simple house manager over mine!
Elena: We will see about that when the estate lawyers hear the truth today.
Elena took Leo by his small hand and began walking down the corridor.
Victoria rushed forward quickly and grabbed Elena's arm with a tight, cruel grip.
Victoria: You are not leaving this hallway with that child, Elena!
Elena spun around and forcefully pushed Victoria's hand away from her arm.
Elena: Do not touch me ever again, Victoria!
Victoria stumbled backward slightly, her expensive satin dress sweeping against the floor.
She looked around the empty hallway frantically, searching for another desperate way out.
The high-stakes conflict inside the grand mansion was rapidly escalating into chaos.
Elena knew she had to get Leo to a safe place right away.
She led the child toward the main office where the lawyers were currently meeting.
Victoria followed right behind them, her heel clicks echoing like an angry drumbeat.