Elena stood near the tall white marble staircase while staring down at Maria with annoyance.
She pulled out her phone and began typing messages quickly while ignoring the maid's presence entirely.
Maria walked up the stairs to check the wooden safety gate near the second-floor landing.
Three-year-old Lily was playing happily with her colorful wooden blocks near the top hallway carpet.
The little girl giggled as she stacked the bright blocks into a small wobbly tower.
Maria: Look at you building such a giant castle, sweet girl!
Lily: Castle for daddy, Maria!
Maria: Daddy is going to love it so much when he comes home!
Elena: Maria, stop chatting and go fix the downstairs kitchen counters right now.
Maria: I am just securing the safety latch on this floor first, ma'am.
Elena: I said go down to the kitchen immediately without backtalk!
Maria hesitated for a second, feeling an instinctive wave of deep concern in her chest.
She did not like leaving Lily alone near Elena when the woman was in such a bad mood.
However, Maria did not want to cause a loud conflict that might scare the small child.
She wiped her hands on her tan uniform and slowly walked down the marble steps.
From the kitchen doorway, Maria could still hear the faint sounds of Lily's playful giggles above.
Suddenly, Elena walked over to the stroller sitting near the top stair landing.
She opened her expensive leather handbag and pulled out a stack of folded legal paper documents.
These were the modified trust fund papers that David had refused to sign earlier that week.
Elena needed full authority over the estate accounts to clear her own hidden personal debts.
She paced back and forth near the top step while making a quiet phone call to her lawyer.
Elena: He still has not signed the main property transfer agreement yet.
Lawyer: If anything happens to his status, the existing child trust remains active.
Elena: There must be another way to gain immediate legal control over everything.
Lawyer: Only if you become the sole legal guardian of the child's assets.
Elena narrowed her eyes as she glanced toward the little girl playing near the stairs.
She felt frustrated that her grand plans were taking far longer than she had originally anticipated.
Her cold demeanor became more obvious as she watched Lily push her toy stroller toward the edge.
Instead of stepping forward to guide the child away, Elena stood completely still on the carpet.
She intentionally left the wooden safety gate unlatched after opening it moments earlier to move boxes.
Maria, stepping back into the foyer with a cleaning bucket, noticed the open gate from below.
Her heart dropped into her stomach as she saw three-year-old Lily toddle near the top marble step.
Maria: Miss Elena, please grab her hand right now!
Elena: Mind your own business down there, Maria!
Maria: She is too close to the marble stairs, step back!
The sudden sharp tone in Maria's voice startled the little girl near the open railing.
Lily turned around quickly, losing her balance on the polished floor right near the top step.