Elena sat with young Leo inside the kitchen until the child finally stopped weeping heavily.
She gave him a glass of warm milk and a slice of homemade apple pie.
Leo: Please do not let her near me again, Elena.
Elena: I will never leave your side today, my sweet boy.
Elena knew that simple verbal accusations would not be enough against a wealthy stepmother.
Arthur loved Victoria deeply and might view the incident as an accidental tumble.
However, Elena remembered something extremely important about the mansion's main foyer security.
Last month, Arthur had installed high-definition security cameras throughout the main hallways.
One camera was hidden discreetly inside the wooden molding right above the framed American flag.
That specific camera had a direct, crystal-clear view of the entire grand curved staircase.
Elena waited until Victoria went upstairs into the master bedroom to apply her makeup.
Elena quickly rushed down the hallway into the home security office near the library.
She opened the digital recording software on the main monitor to inspect the files.
To her shock, Victoria had already tried to clear the video history from today.
Victoria believed she had permanently erased all footage recorded during the morning hours.
However, Victoria did not realize that the system backed up all files onto cloud storage.
Elena used her administrative access code to retrieve the saved cloud recording immediately.
She played the exact minute of the incident on the high-definition color screen.
The video clearly showed Victoria aggressively grabbing Leo and intentionally shoving him backward.
It also clearly captured Elena running across the floor to catch the falling child.
Elena quickly downloaded the full high-resolution video file onto a secure thumb drive.
She placed the drive safely inside her apron pocket, her heart pounding with determination.
Suddenly, the door of the security office swung open with a loud, sharp creak.
Victoria stood in the doorway, staring down at Elena with pure malice and suspicion.
Victoria: What are you doing in Arthur's private security room, Elena?
Elena: I am securing the truth about what you did to this child.
Victoria: Hand over whatever you just took right now, or you will regret it!
Elena: I am calling Mr. Whitman and the police this very instant!
Victoria stepped into the room with an angry expression, blocking the exit door.
Elena gripped the thumb drive tightly inside her apron pocket, refusing to back down.