Richard carried Maya upstairs into her colorful bedroom to settle her down.
He placed her softly on the bed and gave her a glass of water.
His hands were still shaking from the terror of the close call downstairs.
Richard: Stay here with your nanny for a few minutes, okay?
Maya: Please do not leave me alone with stepmother Victoria.
Richard: Nobody is ever going to hurt you in this house again.
He stroked her hair gently before walking back out into the bright hallway.
He needed answers immediately about what had just happened on the stairs.
Victoria was pacing nervously inside the formal living room downstairs.
She was sipping a cold glass of water when Richard entered the room.
Her brown gown rustled softly against the plush oriental rug under her feet.
Victoria: Richard, you are making a massive scene over a minor trip.
Richard: She almost tumbled down fifteen marble steps, Victoria!
Victoria: Children slip all the time when they run around in socks!
Richard: She was sitting down until you grabbed her arm firmly!
Victoria turned her face away and set her glass on the glass table.
She tried to put on a smooth smile to calm his rising temper.
Victoria: You are just overly stressed from your corporate work lately.
Richard: Do not try to turn this around on my mental state.
Richard remembered finding unexpected financial bank papers in the study last week.
Victoria had been asking repeated questions about the family trust fund lately.
She knew that Maya was the sole heir to the entire real estate fortune.
If anything happened to Maya, control of the estate would shift directly to Victoria.
The cold realization hit Richard like a splash of freezing mountain water.
He stepped closer to Victoria with a harsh expression on his face.
Richard: Why were you asking my lawyer about the trust clauses yesterday?
Victoria: I was just trying to understand our family financial future!
Richard: You have no legal rights to Maya personal inheritance fund!
Victoria: I am your wife and I deserve respect in this house!
Richard: Respect is earned through love, not through dangerous actions!
Victoria stood her ground, but her eyes flickered with hidden anxiety.
She adjusted her brown dress and took a step toward the doorway.
Victoria: I will not stay here while you accuse me of madness.
Richard: You are not leaving until I get to the real truth.
He pulled out his phone and dialed his private security chief immediately.
He demanded a full review of all hallway security camera footage from today.
Victoria stood frozen near the archway, realizing her narrative was collapsing fast.
The battle for the truth inside this luxury home was just beginning.