The morning sun cut through the grand glass windows of the Sterling mansion in Chicago.
Eight-year-old Leo sat quietly on a silk sofa inside the massive foyer.
He held a small wooden toy train that his late mother had given him years ago.
His father, Richard Sterling, was away on an emergency business trip in New York.
That left Leo alone with his new stepmother, Victoria.
Victoria had married Richard only six months after Leo's mother passed away.
She always acted sweet whenever Richard was standing nearby.
However, the moment Richard left the house, her warm smile completely disappeared.
She treated the quiet boy like an unwelcome shadow in the grand estate.
Elena, the young housemaid, wiped the polished mahogany table nearby.
She watched Leo with deep sympathy in her brown eyes.
Elena knew what it felt like to be cold and lonely.
She had worked for the Sterling family for nearly three full years.
She remembered how kind Leo's biological mother used to be toward everyone.
Now, the grand house felt chilly and full of fake smiles.
Sharp footsteps echoed loudly across the glossy marble flooring.
Victoria walked down the wide hall wearing an elegant emerald green dress.
Her golden earrings sparkled under the large crystal chandelier.
She held a thick leather envelope tightly in her right hand.
Victoria: Why are you still sitting here staring at nothing, boy?
Leo: I was just playing with my train, Victoria.
Victoria: Put that dirty old trash away right now.
Leo: It was a gift from my mom.
Victoria: I do not care who gave it to you.
Leo lowered his head and squeezed the wooden toy against his chest.
Elena stepped forward slightly while holding her cleaning cloth.
Elena: Mrs. Sterling, the boy is quietly playing without making any noise.
Victoria: Did I ask for your opinion, Elena?
Elena: No, ma'am.
Victoria: Then go clean the guest rooms upstairs immediately.
Elena took a slow breath and stepped back toward the staircase.
She did not want to leave the young boy alone with Victoria.
She had a strange feeling that something bad was about to happen today.
Victoria looked down at Leo with cold, narrow eyes.
She tapped her long red fingernails against the leather folder in her hand.
Victoria: Your father trusts me with everything now, small boy.
Leo: Daddy said he will be home for dinner tonight.
Victoria: Your father is far too busy to care about your games.
Leo: He promised he would come back early.
Victoria: Promises mean nothing in this family.
She grabbed Leo by his small jacket sleeve and pulled him up forcefully.
Leo gasped as his wooden train dropped onto the hard floor.
Leo: You are hurting my arm!
Victoria: Stop whining like a weak child!
Elena: Please, Mrs. Sterling, let go of his arm!
Victoria: Stay where you are, maid!
Leo tried to pull his arm back from her tight grip.
His heel caught the edge of the plush Persian rug near the stairs.
He lost his balance completely and slipped backward onto the polished marble.
A terrified cry echoed off the tall plaster walls of the mansion.