Mark stepped closer to Elena with his arm raised in anger.
As he moved forward, his smartphone slipped out of his coat pocket and slammed onto the marble floor.
The phone screen cracked, but the speaker activated automatically from the sudden hard impact.
Leo pointed his small wet hand toward Mark while hiding his face in Elena's shoulder.
Elena: Did you help her put that on him, Mark?
Mark: It is none of your business how we handle family matters!
Elena pulled her digital security tablet out of her handbag with shaking hands.
She opened the live cloud app that was connected to the hidden nursery camera feed.
The screen flickered for a brief second before loading the recorded video clip from an hour ago.
The video clearly showed Mark holding the baby down while Evelyn locked the metal chain around Leo's neck.
They were both smiling on the video as the baby cried out for help.
Elena looked up from the bright screen, her tears turning into pure, unfiltered rage.
Elena: You are a monster, Mark!
Mark: Put that tablet away right now, Elena!
Elena: The police are going to see every single frame of this footage!
Mark lunged forward to grab the tablet right out of her hands.
Elena dodged his reach and turned her body to shield her baby boy.
Mark: You will give me that device right now!
Elena: Don't you dare come any closer to us!
Evelyn rushed over to grab Mark's arm, her eyes full of panic now.
Evelyn: Mark, get the security key and lock the front gates!
Mark: She isn't leaving this house with that video!
Elena backed toward the heavy glass doors leading out to the courtyard.
Her mind raced as she calculated the distance to her car parked in the front drive.
She pressed the emergency SOS button on her smart watch under her sleeve.
The subtle vibration confirmed that the local police dispatcher had received her location.
Elena: Touch me again and you go to prison today, Mark.
Mark: You have no power in this town, Elena!
Elena kept her eyes locked on Mark as he reached into his jacket for his keys.
She knew she had only seconds before he locked the electronic security gates.
Her grip tightened on her child as she prepared to make a run for freedom.