The bright morning light poured into the grand marble foyer of the mansion. Down the hallway, Clara walked quickly while carrying a freshly folded pile of white towels. She was just doing her daily rounds, keeping the vast estate spotless. But as she rounded the marble archway, her heart stopped.
Standing near the grand staircase under the towering American flag was Victoria, holding a tiny newborn high above her head. Victoria’s face was twisted in rage, her knuckles white as she squeezed the swaddled baby.
Victoria: "This child is costing me everything!"
Clara: "Mrs. Sterling, please! What are you doing?!"
Victoria: "He was supposed to secure my place in the family trust! Now he's just a worthless obstacle!"
Clara: "Put him down! Don't do this!"
Without a second thought, Victoria threw the baby high into the open air above the marble floor. Clara dropped her towels and screamed in absolute terror. She sprinted across the foyer, threw her entire body forward, and slid on her stomach across the slick floor.
Clara: "No!"
Her hands reached out just in time, catching the baby an inch above the hard stone. The impact rattled Clara's knees, but she held the little boy tight against her chest as he began to cry loudly. Tears streamed down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Clara: "I got you... you're safe now."
Victoria: "You pathetic maid! Why did you jump in?!"
Clara stood up, her body shaking with anger as she pulled the crying baby closer to her heart.
Clara: "How could you throw a baby?!"
Victoria: "Get off me!"
Victoria raised her hand to strike, but Clara swung her arm and slapped Victoria hard across the cheek. The slap rang out through the foyer, leaving Victoria clutching her red face in shock. At that exact moment, the grand double front doors burst open. Richard Sterling walked in, his red velvet suit slightly messy, staring at the scene in absolute horror.
Richard: "What the hell is going on here?"
Clara: "Sir, she threw your baby in the air and dropped him!"
Victoria: "She's lying, Richard! She dropped him and hit me!"
Richard raised his smartphone, holding up the screen to show live security video of Victoria throwing the infant.
Richard: "I saw everything on the security feed."
Victoria backed up, panic washing over her face as she clutched her cheek. But as Richard stepped forward to slap her onto the floor, Clara noticed something tucked inside Victoria's fallen designer bag on the floor. It was an opened envelope from a private clinic—and it contained a secret that was about to shatter the Sterling legacy forever.