Victoria paused for a second, her expensive diamond rings sparkling in the bright light.
She lowered her hand slowly, but her dark eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare.
Victoria: You are just a hired worker here, Elena.
Victoria: If you speak a single word to my husband, you will be fired immediately.
Elena felt her heart pounding fast, but she refused to back down an inch.
Elena: You cannot treat a child like this, Victoria.
Elena: He is just a little boy who misses his father.
Victoria: My husband trusts me completely with his estate and his son.
Victoria: Who do you think he will believe?
Victoria: An affectionate mother figure, or a staff member trying to cause drama?
Leo reached out and held tightly onto the edge of Elena's apron.
Leo: Please don't go, Elena.
Elena reached down and held the boy's cold hand with absolute firmness.
Elena: I am not going anywhere, Leo.
Victoria laughed softly, a bitter sound that echoed through the empty hallway.
Victoria: Clean up this mess and send the boy to his room now.
Victoria: If I hear another word about this, you will be on the street tonight.
Victoria turned on her heel and walked away toward the grand staircase.
Elena guided Leo over to a soft sofa and sat down beside him gently.
She took a soft cloth and carefully cleaned the minor marks on his skin.
Elena: Has she been doing this for a long time, sweetie?
Leo: Ever since Dad left on his long business trip to Chicago.
Leo: She says if I tell Dad, he will send me away to boarding school.
Elena felt her stomach turn over at the cruelty of those manipulative words.
She knew that Richard Vance loved his son more than anything in the world.
However, Richard was often distracted by his massive corporate responsibilities and constant travel.
He relied on Victoria to manage the house and care for his motherless child.
Elena knew she needed actual evidence before she could make such a massive claim.
Without proof, Victoria would simply twist the story and get her fired immediately.
She looked around the room and noticed the high ceilings and elegant fixtures.
She remembered that the security system had been upgraded just two months ago.
Small glass cameras were mounted near the high corners of every main living area.
Elena realized that the hard drive in the security office stored every single frame.
She wiped away Leo's remaining tears and looked straight into his frightened eyes.
Elena: I promise you that I am going to make this stop today.
Leo: Are you sure, Elena?
Elena: I am completely sure, my dear.