Victoria turned her body just enough so her shoulder blocked the view from the upper hall.
She tilted her hands forward over the cold wrought iron edge without screaming for help.
The swaddled blanket slipped from her light fingers straight into the empty air above.
Elena did not hesitate for a single second when she saw the blue bundle fall.
She dropped her yellow cleaning cloth onto the floor and sprinted across the smooth room.
Her knees hit the hard stone floor with a sharp crack that echoed wildly.
She slid across the slippery marble surface with both arms outstretched toward the drop zone.
The child fell fast, the blue blanket unfurling slightly in the rushing room air.
Elena caught the baby tight against her soft apron just inches above the hard ground.
The heavy thud of her own body sliding to a stop filled the large empty space.
She gathered the tiny infant against her collarbone, trembling from head to toe in shock.
The infant let out a startled cry, loud and healthy, against Elena's racing heart.
Elena squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her forehead gently to the baby's warm head.
Up on the balcony, Victoria gasped loudly, pulling her empty hands back to her chest.
Her face paled as she looked down at the maid sitting safely on the cold floor.
Victoria: Oh my goodness, it slipped out of my hands so fast!
Elena looked up from the ground, her chest heaving as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Elena: You didn't slip! You opened your fingers and pushed the edge!
Victoria: How dare you speak to me like that in my own house!
The double front doors swung open hard, letting in the cool outdoor morning air.
Julian Vance stepped inside holding his leather briefcase, stopping cold at the dramatic scene.
He looked at his wife clutching the upper rail, then down at Elena on the floor.
Julian: What on earth just happened in this foyer?
Elena: Sir, she let the baby fall over the rail on purpose!
Victoria: Julian, she is lying to cover up her own clumsy mistake!
Julian's face turned red as he stared up at the woman standing on the stairs.
He set his heavy briefcase down on the table with a loud, echoey thud.
Elena held the small child tighter, refusing to let go of the trembling bundle.
The baby continued to cry, filling the large home with sharp, desperate sounds.
Julian took three long strides toward the staircase, his eyes locked on Victoria's face.
The atmosphere inside the grand entryway turned completely cold within a single second.