Julian: "Elena, bring Noah into the study. We need to check him over completely before the doctor arrives."
Elena: "Yes, Mr. Vance. I have a cold cloth for his forehead."
Julian walked into the library, his hands still shaking violently as he poured a glass of water from the crystal decanter on his desk. He handed it to Elena, who sat on the leather sofa holding the now-quieted infant.
Julian: "Tell me the absolute truth, Elena. Has she ever done anything like this before?"
Elena: "Sir... I was afraid to say anything because she threatened to fire me and report my family to immigration."
Julian: "She threatened you?!"
Elena: "Last week, I found her in the nursery holding a pillow over Noah's crib while he was sleeping."
Julian froze, the glass in his hand nearly slipping from his fingers. His eyes widened in utter horror as he stared at the young maid.
Julian: "A pillow...? Why didn't you call me immediately?!"
Elena: "She told me that if I spoke a word to you, she would make sure my little brother lost his scholarship at the private school your foundation sponsors! She said she owned the board!"
Julian: "That vile, scheming snake... She lied about everything from the moment I married her!"
Elena: "She didn't marry you because she loved you, Mr. Vance. She talked on the phone in the pantry when she thought nobody was home."
Julian: "What did she say, Elena? Tell me everything."
Elena: "She said that as long as Noah was alive, the late Mrs. Vance's inheritance would go straight to the baby when he turned eighteen. She said she needed Noah gone so she could claim the entire fifty-million-dollar estate as your sole surviving heir."
Julian's face went completely pale. He sat down heavily in his desk chair, resting his head in his hands as the full magnitude of his mistake hit him like a physical blow. His first wife, Clara, had died during childbirth just a year ago, leaving behind a massive trust fund dedicated entirely to little Noah.
Julian: "I brought an assassin into my home... I brought a monster to live with my motherless child..."
Elena: "Mr. Vance, you didn't know. She acted so kind whenever you were in the room."
Julian: "I was blind! I was so buried in work and grief that I didn't see what was happening right under my roof!"
Elena: "What are you going to do now, sir?"
Julian: "I'm going to destroy her. Legally, financially, and permanently."
Julian reached for the heavy brass landline telephone on his desk and dialed a ten-digit number from memory.
Julian: "Arthur? It's Julian. Get the district attorney and my private security director on a conference call right now. We have an attempted murder on camera."