Matteo stepped into the bright hallway with a sharp gaze.
He wore a long black coat over his tailored suit.
His presence immediately filled the wide luxury space with authority.
He stopped when he saw Elena kneeling down on the floor.
His eyebrows pulled together into a deep, heavy frown.
Matteo: What is going on in this hallway right now?
Victoria: Matteo! This lazy girl was just being very rude.
Matteo: Why were you standing over her like that, Victoria?
Victoria: She was refusing to follow my basic instructions!
Matteo walked closer and looked down at the scared maid.
Elena kept her head down, afraid to cause more trouble.
She did not want to lose her only source of income.
Matteo leaned over slightly to see Elena's face clearly.
He noticed her shoulders shaking from small, quiet sobs.
Matteo: Stand up from the floor right now, miss.
Elena: I... I am supposed to finish the shoes first.
Matteo: I said stand up. You do not need to kneel.
Elena slowly pushed herself up from the hard floor.
She smoothed down her plain black-and-white uniform dress.
Victoria crossed her arms and let out an annoyed sigh.
Victoria: You are spoiling the domestic help, Matteo.
Matteo: I am maintaining basic human dignity in this house.
Victoria: She ruined my expensive leather shoes with dirty polish!
Matteo looked at the shoes lying on the marble ground.
They looked perfectly clean and polished to a shine.
He glanced back at Victoria with disappointment in his eyes.
Matteo: The shoes look fine to me, Victoria.
Victoria: You always take the side of the staff!
Matteo: I take the side of common fairness and truth.
Elena looked up briefly and caught Matteo's calm blue eyes.
She felt a sudden wave of relief wash over her.
Nobody had ever stood up to Victoria in this home before.
The other workers always kept quiet to save their jobs.
Matteo was the owner's son who recently returned from abroad.
He managed the international branch of the family firm.
His reputation was built on hard work and honest dealing.
Victoria was his stepmother, married to his aging father.
The tension between the two of them was always high.
Matteo: Are you alright, miss? What is your name?
Elena: My name is Elena, sir. I am okay.
Matteo: You do not look okay to me at all.
Matteo noticed dark red marks along her delicate collarbone.
It looked like fresh scratches or recent painful bruises.
His eyes softened with genuine concern for her wellbeing.
Matteo: How did you get those marks on your neck?
Elena: It... it was just an accident in the kitchen.
Victoria: See? She is just clumsy around the house!
Matteo: Quiet down, Victoria. Let her answer me.
Matteo reached out a hand gently toward the young woman.
He pulled back the collar of her shirt very carefully.
He wanted to see if she needed immediate medical help.
As he moved the fabric, a silver chain slipped out.
A small silver key hung from the end of it.
The metal glinted brightly under the daylight overhead light.
Matteo froze completely the moment his eyes saw the key.
His entire expression changed from soft concern to total shock.
Matteo: Where did you get this silver key, Elena?
Elena: My mother gave it to me before she passed.
Matteo: Your mother gave this exact key to you?
Elena nodded slowly, confused by his intense emotional reaction.
Victoria stepped forward, looking suddenly nervous and pale.