On a bright Tuesday morning, Arthur announced he had an urgent early meeting downtown.
He kissed Lily on the forehead before adjusting his navy suit jacket and tie.
Arthur: I will be back before dinner to see your new painting, sweetheart.
Lily: I promise to work hard on it all day, daddy.
Arthur: Victoria, please make sure she finishes her homework before playing outside today.
Victoria: Of course, my darling husband, I will take wonderful care of her.
Arthur stepped outside through the heavy mahogany double doors and entered his sleek sedan.
The moment his car pulled down the long driveway, Victoria turned around with a glare.
She snapped her fingers loudly, commanding Elena to clean the distant pool house immediately.
Victoria: Take all the heavy cleaning supplies down to the guest quarters right now.
Elena: I usually dust the second-story balcony rail during this hour, ma'am.
Victoria: Did I ask for your opinion, or did I give you a clear command?
Elena: I will take the supplies down to the pool house right away, ma'am.
Elena pretended to walk out the kitchen back door toward the sunny garden yard.
However, her instinct warned her that Victoria was planning something dishonest and terrible today.
Instead of walking down the path, Elena slipped quietly back into the side hallway corridor.
She took off her white maid shoes so her footsteps made zero sound on marble.
Upstairs on the second-story balcony, Victoria called little Lily out of her carpeted bedroom.
The upper balcony featured a polished white marble floor with a low wooden safety railing.
It overlooked the grand atrium foyer below, where light poured through upper glass skylights.
Lily walked out nervously, holding her small teddy bear tightly against her pink sweater.
Victoria: Come look over the railing, Lily, your father dropped something near the stairs.
Lily: Where is it, stepmother? I don't see anything on the floor.
Victoria: Lean further forward over the wooden edge so you can see properly.
Victoria stepped behind the small child, her hand slowly rising toward Lily's back.
Elena rounded the corner of the lower stairwell and froze when she saw the danger.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she realized what Victoria was trying to do.
Victoria intended to nudge the little girl so she would stumble down the stairs.
She wanted to claim the child slipped while playing carelessly near the upper balcony rail.
Elena did not hesitate for a single second as she sprinted toward the central atrium.
She knew she had to reach the foot of the stairs before disaster struck the home.
Her eyes remained locked on the small child standing dangerously close to the steep drop.
Every instinct in Elena's body screamed as she rushed across the glossy white floor.
She was ready to risk her own physical safety to catch the defenseless little girl.