Victoria: See how she lies, Richard?! She refuses to take responsibility! She's been showing aggressive behavior all week!
Clara: Mr. Sterling, please listen to your daughter. Miss Victoria is lying to you[cite: 1]. I was standing five feet away[cite: 1].
Victoria: Silence, maid! You're trying to protect your own job because you failed to supervise her!
Richard: Clara, let me handle this. Lily, look at your father right now. Tell me the truth[cite: 1].
Lily wiped her nose with the sleeve of her pink dress, her small chest heaving as she held the brown teddy bear up toward her father's face[cite: 1]. She tapped the glossy black right eye of the stuffed animal.
Lily: Daddy, remember the special game Uncle Marcus gave me for my birthday? Mr. Teddy has the magic eye camera inside!
Victoria: What is she rambling about now?! She's making up fairy tales to get out of trouble!
Richard: Wait... a camera?
Lily: Uncle Marcus put the security button inside Mr. Teddy so I could record my tea parties! He connected it to the house network!
Victoria's dramatic weeping instantly stopped[cite: 1]. Her body froze on the marble floor, her eyes darting nervously toward the brown teddy bear in the child's hands[cite: 1]. Direct center in the plastic right eye was a microscopic lens, reflecting the chandelier light above[cite: 1].
Victoria: That's absurd! A stuffed toy doesn't have live recording capability! Richard, don't waste time on a child's game while I'm bleeding on the floor!
Richard: Marcus is the chief technology officer of my firm, Victoria. He set up the entire smart home infrastructure in this mansion[cite: 1].
Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out his black smartphone[cite: 1]. He tapped the screen three times, bringing up the master automation dashboard for the estate[cite: 1]. Under the local device list, a small green indicator blinked continuously labeled "Nursery_Cam_04 (Teddy)".
Richard: It's broadcasting live to the central media feed right now.
Victoria: Richard... wait! You don't need to check that right now! Let the staff clean up the glass first!
Richard: Why shouldn't I check it, Victoria? If Lily broke the vase, the footage will prove it, won't it?
Victoria: I... I just mean we shouldn't humiliate the girl in front of all our party guests!
Ignoring her protests, Richard tapped the screen to cast the video signal directly to the sixty-five-inch flat-screen television mounted above the grand fireplace in the main hall[cite: 1]. The screen flickered for a second, then cleared into high-definition color[cite: 1].
Guest 3: Look at the TV! The feed is playing!
Guest 4: Is that... live footage from three minutes ago?
The entire ballroom went dead silent as the video playback filled the large screen[cite: 1]. The camera angle was low, positioned right from Lily's waist height[cite: 1]. The video clearly showed Lily standing completely still, holding her bear while looking at the flowers[cite: 1]. Then, the metallic gold dress came into view[cite: 1]. The footage captured Victoria grabbing the heavy antique vase with both hands, deliberately raising it, and smashing it against the marble floor before throwing herself onto the ground and screaming[cite: 1].