Elena sat in her small bedroom above the estate garage, packing her battered suitcase.
Her hands shook violently as she folded her few personal garments into neat stacks.
She had sacrificed years of hard labor to earn an honest living at the estate.
Now her entire reputation and livelihood were being destroyed in a single morning.
A soft knock rattled the wooden frame of her bedroom door unexpected in the silence.
Thomas stepped into the small room and closed the heavy door behind him quietly.
Thomas: You shouldn't have been blamed for what happened downstairs today, Elena.
Elena: He thinks I tried to hurt his little daughter on purpose!
Thomas: He is hiding something much larger than a simple household accident.
Elena stopped packing her clothes and stared up at the senior butler in confusion.
Elena: What are you talking about? He was furious about Lily.
Thomas: The railing on the second floor was deliberately loosened yesterday afternoon.
Elena gasped softly and covered her open mouth with her shaking right hand.
Elena: Someone intentionally made the banister unsafe for the small girl?
Thomas: I saw Arthur's business partner near that balcony with a screwdriver last night.
The air in the tiny bedroom suddenly felt heavy and suffocating to Elena.
Elena: Why would anyone want to put a child in such danger?
Thomas: A massive life insurance policy was taken out on Lily last month.
Elena stood up quickly, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs in shock.
Elena: Arthur is in deep financial debt with his corporate investment firm!
Thomas: Precisely, and he needed a scapegoat to take the blame today.
Elena: He wanted everyone to think my negligence caused the fall!
Thomas nodded slowly and pulled a small black USB drive from his pocket.
Thomas: The hallway security camera caught everything on tape crystal clear.
Elena: Does the video show me catching her before she landed?
Thomas: It shows you saving her life while someone else watched from the hallway.
Elena took the small digital drive into her hand with renewed determination.
Elena: We need to show this evidence to the authorities right now.
Thomas: Arthur has powerful lawyers, so we must be extremely careful today.