Victoria: You put your hands on me?! Do you have any idea who my father is?!
Daniel: I don't care if your father is the governor, Victoria. You just committed felony assault on my wife.
Victoria: Your... your what?!
Daniel: Maria is my wife. We were married four months ago.
Victoria's jaw dropped open as she lay on the white marble, her hand clutching her reddened cheek[cite: 1]. She looked past Daniel's broad shoulders to Maria, who was still weeping softly on the floor, holding her stomach[cite: 1].
Victoria: That's impossible! She's a hired maid! She cleans our estate floors!
Daniel: She worked here because she wanted to earn her own money while finishing her master's degree. But you treated her like an animal.
Victoria: She broke an antique porcelain vase! It was worth more than her entire life!
Daniel: That vase belonged to my corporate trust fund, Victoria. I bought this estate last week. You and your parents are merely guests in my house.
Maria: Daniel... my stomach feels so tight... please help me...
Daniel dropped to his knees beside Maria, taking her small, shaking hand into his large palm[cite: 1]. He brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them tenderly while his eyes remained cold as ice[cite: 1].
Daniel: Stay calm, my love. Della is bringing the medical team right now. Just breathe for me.
Victoria: This is a absurd setup! You bribed her to trick our family out of our inheritance!
Daniel: Your family is already bankrupt, Victoria. Your father spent the last five million dollars of his life insurance payout on bad stock options last month.
Victoria: You're lying! Our family business generates tens of millions every year!
Daniel: Your family business was sold at a bankruptcy auction this morning. And I was the sole bidder who bought the mortgage deeds.
Victoria tried to scramble backward on her hands and knees, her face turning pale as the reality of his words began to sink in[cite: 1]. From down the hallway, Della, the head of private security, rushed in with two paramedics carrying a stretcher[cite: 1].
Della: Mr. Vance! The private ambulance is here! The Texas State Troopers just pulled into the front driveway!
Daniel: Get Maria onto the stretcher carefully, Della. Make sure the lead paramedic monitors her blood pressure immediately.
Paramedic: We've got her, sir. Ma'am, keep your breathing steady. We're going to check the baby right now.
Maria: Daniel, don't leave my side... please...
Daniel: I'm coming with you to the hospital, Maria. But first, I need to make sure the police handle this garbage correctly.
Daniel stood up, towering over Victoria as she sat helpless on the cold floor[cite: 1]. The sound of heavy police boots echoed against the glass and marble foyer as three state troopers stepped into the grand hall[cite: 1].
Officer Hayes: Mr. Vance? We received an emergency dispatch regarding a violent domestic assault at this address.
Daniel: Officer Hayes. That woman in the red dress just physically attacked my six-month pregnant wife against that mirror wall[cite: 1].
Victoria: He slapped me! Look at my face! He assaulted me in my own home!
Daniel: Check the high-definition security cameras mounted near the crystal chandelier, Officer[cite: 1]. The footage will show she initiated the attack, grabbed my wife by the throat, and tried to throw her down[cite: 1]. My action was pure defense of a helpless victim.
Officer Hayes: We will review all camera footage on site, Mr. Vance. Miss, stand up and put your hands behind your back.
Victoria: No! Get away from me! You can't arrest a Sterling family member in Dallas!
Officer Hayes: You are under arrest for felony assault on a pregnant person, Miss Sterling. You have the right to remain silent.
Victoria shrieked in outrage as the steel handcuffs clicked around her wrists[cite: 1]. The officers lifted her off the marble floor, her red silk dress wrinkling as she struggled against their grip[cite: 1]. Daniel didn't give her a second glance as he followed the paramedics pushing Maria's stretcher out the heavy front doors into the warm Texas daylight[cite: 1].