The morning light streamed through the towering stained glass windows of the Vance estate.
Sarah adjusted her clean white apron as she smoothed down her blue dress.
She had worked as a housemaid for the wealthy family for three years.
Her daily routine was always quiet and filled with constant physical work.
She dusted the antique polished furniture in the massive grand library every morning.
She wiped the tall pristine mirrors lining the wide ground floor hallway.
She checked the fresh flowers placed carefully in heavy glass vases.
Yet her favorite duty was caring for tiny baby Leo in his nursery.
The little boy was barely six months old and brought warmth to the house.
His mother had tragically passed away shortly after he was born into the world.
His father Richard Vance was a powerful billionaire CEO of a national firm.
Richard spent long hours working late in his high rise city office building.
He carried immense sorrow in his heart while trying to manage his vast business.
He relied heavily on Sarah to keep his infant son safe and comfortable.
Sarah treated the sweet baby with the same deep love as a real mother.
She sang quiet soft lullabies to him whenever he cried late at night.
She held him gently against her shoulder while rocking in the grand wooden chair.
The peaceful rhythm of the house had changed three dark weeks ago.
Richard had married a cold society woman named Evelyn after a brief romance.
Evelyn loved expensive silk dresses, sparkling diamonds, and showing off high social status.
She walked through the wide hallways like she owned every single brick and board.
She barked hard orders at the domestic staff from morning until late night.
She sneered whenever she looked at little baby Leo resting in his crib.
Sarah noticed the icy cold glare in Evelyn's eyes right from the start.
Evelyn saw the sweet tiny child as a barrier to the vast family fortune.
If the boy inherited the estate, Evelyn would get much less money later.
She wanted full control over the massive trust fund and the grand house.
Sarah kept a close eye on Evelyn whenever the woman walked nearby.
She promised herself that no harm would ever come to the innocent child.
She checked the baby crib lock every hour to ensure total safety.
She carried the baby with her whenever she cleaned the second floor rooms.
The tension inside the white marble foyer grew thicker with each passing day.
Evelyn often complained to Richard about Sarah being too protective of the child.
She tried to convince Richard to fire the faithful young housemaid instantly.
Evelyn: The maid is far too possessive of your son, Richard.
Richard: Sarah is the most loyal person in this entire household, Evelyn.
Evelyn: She does not know her proper place in a mansion like this.
Richard: She keeps my son safe while I am away working long hours.
Evelyn: I can hire a high class nanny from the city tomorrow.
Richard: Sarah stays right here where she belongs with little Leo.
Evelyn turned away with a harsh scowl on her heavy painted face.
She hated being challenged by anyone inside the grand luxury home.
Sarah stood quietly behind the wooden doorway, overhearing every single spoken word.
She knew that Evelyn was planning something terrible to get her way.
The house was quiet, but a storm was brewing behind closed doors.