Richard strided across the marble floor of the foyer, his polished dress shoes clicking loudly against the stone. He bypassed Evelyn completely, ignoring her outstretched arms as he stepped past her on the stairs.
Evelyn: "Richard? Did you hear me? She dropped the baby!"
Richard knelt down in front of Clara. He reached out with steady, gentle hands and lifted baby Liam safely out of her trembling arms, pulling his son close against his chest.
Richard: "I've got him. Easy, big guy, Daddy's got you."
Baby Liam: "WAH... wah..."
Clara: "Mr. Vance, I caught him... I dove for him, I swear!"
Richard looked down at the young maid. He noticed the red dirt on her apron, her scraped knees, and the dark, ugly bruise forming on her left cheekbone.
Richard: "You did what?"
Evelyn: "She's manipulating you, Richard! Look at her! She's trying to make herself look like a hero so you won't press charges!"
Richard: "Clara, who gave you that bruise on your face?"
Clara: "I... I fell..."
Evelyn: "She's clumsy, Richard! I told you three weeks ago that we should fire her! She stumbles over her own feet constantly!"
Richard: "Evelyn, shut your mouth for one second."
Evelyn: "How dare you speak to me like that in front of the help! I am your wife!"
Richard: "And Liam is my biological son. The son you promised to care for while I was at the corporate offices downtown."
Evelyn: "And I HAVE been caring for him! I spent all morning organizing his nursery! While this girl was neglecting him!"
Clara: "She took him out of his crib while he was sleeping, Mr. Vance! She brought him out to the balcony ledge!"
Evelyn: "Lies! She's making up stories to save her own skin!"
Richard: "Is that so, Evelyn?"
Evelyn: "Yes! Fire her right now! Call security and have her thrown off our property! She is dangerous!"
Richard stood up straight, holding the baby firmly in his left arm. With his right hand, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his black smartphone.
Richard: "I watched the cameras."
Evelyn froze. The fake tears on her face instantly dried up as her eyes darted toward the high corners of the foyer ceiling.
Evelyn: "The... the cameras? Those are just for outdoor security..."
Richard: "I had the internal mesh network updated yesterday morning. The high-definition cameras in the foyer, the nursery, and the grand hallway are all connected directly to my phone."
Evelyn: "You... you were recording us?"
Richard: "I got a live motion alert on my phone five minutes ago while I was sitting in the board meeting downtown."