Richard: What am I looking at on this screen, Maya?
Maya: Watch the video closely, sir. This was taken inside the pantry room right before the main course was served.
Victoria: That’s an invasion of privacy! It's illegal to record people in a private home!
Richard: Silence, Victoria! Let me see this!
The smartphone screen showed crisp video footage under bright daylight. In the recording, Victoria stood beside the serving tray, pulling a small silver vial from her clutch purse. She carefully poured three dark drops into the crystal decanter, then used a red lipstick pen to place a tiny star mark on the bottom rim of the glass container.
Maya: She marked that decanter with your name, Mr. Sterling. She made sure the servers brought that specific decanter only to your seat at the table.
Richard: She... she marked it for me?
Victoria: It's a fake video! She edited it using a computer program to frame me!
Maya: I recorded it thirty minutes ago on my personal phone camera, sir. Look at the timestamp on the screen.
Richard’s hands shook as he stared at the video playing on the loop. His eyes slowly turned from the phone to Victoria, who stood frozen in terror against her gold chair.
Richard: You marked the wine, Victoria? The wine you insisted I drink for my eighty-second birthday toast?
Victoria: Father, please! She's setting me up because I cut her catering tips last week!
Maya: I don't care about tips, Victoria. I care about keeping an innocent man alive.
Richard: What was inside that silver vial, Victoria? Answer me right now!
Victoria: It was just... it was just a herbal heart supplement! Your doctor said you needed more antioxidants!
Maya: If it was a heart supplement, why did you drop the empty vial down the garbage disposal right after you poured it?
Victoria: You were spying on me?! Who gave you permission to track my movements in this house?!
Maya: Mr. Sterling gave me full access to the pantry kitchen when he hired my catering team two years ago.
Richard: Maya, pick up that decanter. Do not let anyone touch it until the police arrive.
Victoria: Police?! Father, you can't call the police to our family gala! Think of our family name in the news!
Richard: My family name means nothing if my own daughter-in-law is trying to put me in a grave!
Julian: What is going on over here? Why is everyone yelling?
Richard’s eldest son, Julian, stepped into the dining hall, wearing a sharp black tuxedo. He looked between his pale wife, Victoria, and the server holding the marked wine decanter.
Julian: Victoria, why are you crying? What happened to the birthday toast?
Victoria: Julian, tell your father to stop! This crazy waitress is accusing me of poisoning his wine!
Julian: Poisoning?! Maya, what are you talking about? My wife would never do such a thing!
Maya: Look at the video on my phone, Mr. Sterling Jr. Look at what your wife did in the pantry ten minutes ago.
Julian leaned over the white table, his brow furrowing as he watched the recording of Victoria pouring the liquid and making the secret red mark on the bottom of the decanter.
Julian: Victoria... is that your purse in the video?
Victoria: Julian, listen to me! I can explain everything!
Julian: Is that your gold ring on her finger in the video?! Answer me!