Victoria sat on the cold floor, trembling as Richard's words echoed loudly.
She tried to reach out to touch his suit jacket with a soft hand.
Richard stepped back instantly, repulsed by the woman standing before him.
"Do not touch me, and do not step near my child again," he warned.
Elena stepped forward carefully and placed little Maya gently into Richard's open arms.
The father squeezed his daughter tight, kissing the top of her head repeatedly.
"Daddy's here, sweetie, you are safe now," Richard whispered with deep emotion.
Maya wrapped her small arms around his neck and finally stopped crying heavily.
Victoria scrambled back up to her feet, her peach dress wrinkled and messy.
She tried to regain her composure and adjust her messy blonde hair quickly.
"You are taking the word of a poor maid over your own wife?" Victoria sneered.
"She wants your money, Richard, can't you see what she is doing?"
Elena calmly walked over to the side table near the grand entryway mirror.
She picked up a small black security control pad installed on the wall.
"Mr. Vance installed high-definition cameras in every main room last month," Elena said.
Victoria's face drained of all color as her eyes darted toward the ceiling.
She had completely forgotten about the newly installed security system inside the house.
Elena tapped the screen quickly to bring up the recent video playback stream.
She turned the bright screen toward Richard so he could see the footage clearly.
The crystal-clear video showed Victoria aggressively pulling at Maya's gold necklace.
It showed Victoria pulling her hands away as the child slipped on the stairs.
It showed Elena sprinting selflessly across the room to catch the child safely.
Richard watched the video feed with cold, deadly silence in his eyes.
Every single lie Victoria had just spoken crumbled into dust in seconds.
"I trusted you with my home and my child," Richard said softly.
His voice was unnaturally calm, which was far more terrifying than his yelling.
"You married me for my estate, and you viewed Maya as a threat."
Victoria swallowed hard, unable to find a single excuse to defend herself.
"Richard, I was stressed, I didn't mean for her to fall!" she begged.
"Save your pathetic excuses for the court judge," Richard replied coldly.
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pressed speed dial quickly.
He placed the phone against his ear while staring straight into Victoria's eyes.
"Yes, police department please, I need officers at Vance Manor immediately," he said.