The bright yellow gown rustled softly as Victoria reached out her hand toward the young boy.
Leo stumbled backward in fear, losing his balance at the dangerous edge of the marble steps.
He let out a sharp cry as his small foot slipped off the slick stone edge.
"Help me, Elena!" the boy screamed as he began to fall backward down the staircase.
Elena did not hesitate for a single second when she saw the child losing his footing.
She dropped her duster and sprinted across the polished foyer as fast as her legs could go.
Her soft work shoes slapped hard against the cold marble floor as she lunged forward quickly.
Victoria stood at the top of the stairs, watching the scene unfold with a frozen smile.
Elena threw her body onto the bottom steps just as Leo tumbled down toward the landing.
She wrapped her arms tightly around the child, taking the full impact against her own back.
The sudden crash echoed sharply through the wide open space of the grand front entrance hall.
Elena gasped for air as her shoulder hit the hard stone step with a dull thud.
She ignored her own pain instantly and pulled the crying boy close against her chest.
"I've got you, sweetheart!" Elena whispered, checking his head and arms for any severe injuries.
Leo was crying loudly, his tiny body trembling uncontrollably from the terrifying shock of the moment.
"She pushed me, Elena! She pushed me!" Leo sobbed, hiding his face in her gray apron.
Elena looked up toward the top of the grand staircase with pure rage in her eyes.
Victoria was slowly walking down the steps, looking down at them like they were utter garbage.
"Look at what a clumsy little boy you are," Victoria said with a cruel, mocking sneer.
"You should watch where you walk, or you might end up hurting yourself even worse next time."
Elena stood up quickly, carefully placing little Leo behind her own protective body for safety.
She stepped directly into Victoria's path, blocking the wealthy woman from coming any closer today.
"Get out of my way, maid," Victoria demanded, raising her chin in absolute disgust and pride.
"You are a simple servant, and you do not tell me what to do in my home."
"Don't you ever dare touch him again!" Elena shouted, her voice echoing off the tall walls.
Victoria raised her hand to push the maid aside, but Elena stood her ground without flinching.
The tension in the grand foyer was so thick that neither woman heard the front entrance open.
Heavy boots suddenly echoed from the heavy wooden doors as three men stepped inside the foyer.
Richard Sterling had returned home early from his downtown office to grab some forgotten legal files.
Two uniform police officers were walking right behind him to discuss a recent neighborhood safety report.
Richard stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his wife and the maid standing close.
"What is going on here?" Richard roared, his deep voice booming across the grand marble space.
"Elena, why are you screaming at my wife in the middle of the entrance hall?"