Julian: "Lily! Oh my God, Lily!"
Julian sprinted across the foyer, his polished dress shoes clicking hard against the marble floor[cite: 4]. He dropped to his knees beside Elena, his hands trembling violently as he wrapped his arms around his crying daughter[cite: 4].
Julian: "Is she hurt?! Elena, tell me if she's bleeding!"
Elena: "She's shaking, Mr. Sterling, but I caught her! She didn't hit the stone! Thank God, she didn't hit the floor!"
Lily: "Daddy! Daddy! Mommy Victoria threw me! She held me over the railing!"
Julian's blood turned to ice in his veins. He looked up toward the grand staircase just as Victoria descended the marble steps, her metallic gold gown trailing behind her[cite: 4]. She held her head high, an expression of total defiance on her face[cite: 4].
Julian: "Victoria... what did you do to my daughter?!"
Victoria: "Julian, darling, don't be ridiculous! The child was playing near the railing and slipped! I tried to grab her dress, but she was too heavy!"
Elena: "That is a lie, Mr. Sterling! I saw her hold Lily over the banister with both hands!"
Victoria: "Shut your mouth, maid! How dare you accuse me of such a horrific thing!"
Elena: "I heard what you said to her, Mrs. Sterling! You told her to say goodbye!"
Julian stood up slowly, his hands clenching into tight fists at his sides[cite: 4]. His eyes burned with a dark, terrifying rage as he stepped directly into Victoria's path at the foot of the stairs[cite: 4].
Julian: "You threw my motherless daughter off the second-floor balcony?!"
Victoria: "Julian, listen to me! You're letting a hysterical servant turn you against your own wife! Why would I ever hurt Lily?"
Julian: "Because you've hated her since the day I brought you into this house!"
Victoria: "I have tried to be a mother to that girl! But she rejects me at every turn because you spoil her!"
Julian: "She rejected you because she saw right through your fake smile! She knew you only wanted my family's estate!"
Victoria: "That is an insult! I come from a wealthy family! I don't need your money!"
Julian: "Then why did you ask my estate lawyer about the trust fund terms yesterday afternoon?!"
Victoria's smug expression wavered for a fraction of a second, her red lips parting in sudden surprise before she quickly regained her composure.
Victoria: "I was simply asking about our family's financial security for the future! That is completely normal for a wife!"
Julian: "It isn't normal when you ask what happens to the fifty-million-dollar fund if my daughter dies before reaching twenty-one!"
Elena: "Mr. Sterling, she told the lawyer that accidents happen in big houses all the time... I heard her on the study extension phone!"
Victoria: "You spying little roach! You're making up stories to keep your job!"
Julian: "Get away from my family, Victoria. Step back before I lose my mind."
Julian turned away from her, walking back over to where Elena sat on the floor holding little Lily[cite: 4]. He knelt on the cold stone, pulling both his daughter and the loyal maid into a tight, protective embrace[cite: 4].
Julian: "You are both safe with me now[cite: 4]. I promise you, no one in this house will ever hurt either of you again."