The grand mansion sat on top of a grassy hill far away from the busy noise of the city.
Inside the house, bright sunlight streamed through the massive double glass doors and hit the polished marble floor.
Elena adjusted her grey maid apron and wiped down the tall wooden side table in the silent front hallway.
She had worked for the rich Sterling family for nearly five years without a single complaint on her record.
Every morning, her job was to ensure the vast house looked perfectly clean before the family woke up.
She loved the quiet mornings because they gave her time to think about her own small apartment downtown.
Her younger brother was saving money for college, and this job paid for his weekly tuition payments on time.
Suddenly, the high sound of an argument echoed down from the grand balcony on the second floor above her.
Elena froze her polishing rag on the smooth dark wood and looked up toward the wide curved staircase.
Clarissa stood near the white marble railing wearing a long off-shoulder beige gown that brushed against the floor.
Her face looked pale, and her dark brown hair was pinned back in an expensive hairstyle for a party.
She held a small white bundle wrapped in a soft blanket very tightly against her silk gown sleeves.
The baby started to cry softly, its tiny voice filling the massive quiet foyer with small distressed sounds.
Clarissa raised her voice, her tone sharp and angry as she looked toward the hallway behind her upper balcony.
Elena took a slow step backward and held her breath while watching the high ledge from the ground floor.
She knew that Master Richard had spent the entire week traveling across the country on urgent corporate business.
His rich family trust fund managed millions of dollars, making him one of the most powerful executives in town.
Clarissa was his new wife, having married into the wealthy family less than two full years ago after meeting him.
Many of the staff members felt that Clarissa only cared about the family money and the big house equity.
Elena shook her head slightly and tried to return to her morning chores without causing any extra trouble today.
Yet the harsh shouting on the second floor grew louder with every passing second of the bright morning light.
Clarissa moved closer to the thin marble railing while arguing with someone hidden deep inside the master bedroom corridor.
Her hands trembled violently as the baby inside the soft blanket let out a loud and sudden scream.
Elena dropped her yellow polishing cloth onto the floor and took three quick steps toward the grand staircase base.
She felt a sudden knot of terrible fear tighten deep inside her stomach as she watched the second story.
The upper balcony railing was smooth, but it was low enough to pose a dangerous drop to the floor.
Clarissa leaned forward over the marble banister while pointing her thin finger toward the back of the dark hall.
Her foot slipped slightly on the polished floor wax, causing her whole body to lurch over the outer railing edge.
The soft white bundle slipped straight out of her arms and fell into the open air of the foyer.