The heavy silence in the grand foyer was thick enough to cut with a sharp knife.
Victor adjusted the heavy collar of his brown trench coat and stepped slowly toward the crying child.
His polished leather boots made sharp echo sounds against the white marble floor tiles.
Serena hurried over to his side and gently grabbed his arm with a desperate look.
Serena: Victor, you have to fire her immediately!
Victor: Let go of my arm, Serena.
Serena: She lost her temper and pulled Ethan down the stairs!
Clara: I would never harm Ethan! I love him like my own!
Serena: See how she talks back to us, Victor?
Victor ignored Serena completely and crouched down on one knee beside the young maid.
He gently checked Ethan's small arms and looked directly into Clara's honest tearful eyes.
Victor: Clara, tell me exactly what happened before I arrived home.
Clara: I heard Ethan crying from the main dining room, sir.
Clara: When I ran out, Serena was dragging him across the floor.
Serena: She is lying to save her job, Victor!
Serena paced back and forth in her beige gown, her high heels clicking loudly.
She tried to pull Victor back up by his shoulder to separate him from Clara.
Serena: Are you really going to believe a common servant over your own fiancee?
Victor: I am going to believe the absolute truth, Serena.
Victor stood up to his full height and reached deep inside his inner coat pocket.
He pulled out a sleek silver digital tablet device that glittered in the room light.
Serena froze completely in her tracks as her face suddenly lost all of its rosy color.
High up near the white ceiling corner, a small red indicator light blinked steadily on a camera.
Serena: What is that device in your hand, Victor?
Victor: The security feed just came back online, Serena.
Serena: The system was supposed to be undergoing repairs today!
Victor: My IT security team fixed the network connection twenty minutes ago.
Victor tapped the glossy screen twice and began reviewing the recorded high definition video file.
Serena reached out her hand in sudden panic to snatch the tablet out of his grip.
Serena: You don't need to look at those silly video recordings!
Victor stepped back calmly and held the tablet high out of her desperate reach.
His jaw clenched tightly as his eyes followed the playback video on the clear display.
Victor: I can see everything clearly right now, Serena.
Serena: Victor, please let me explain what you are seeing!
Victor: You dragged my innocent son by his wrist across the floor.
Clara gently lifted Ethan into her arms and stood up slowly near the wall.
The small boy rested his exhausted head against Clara's shoulder, finally feeling completely safe.
Victor: You lied to my face without a single hint of shame.
Serena: It was an accident! He was throwing a terrible tantrum!
Victor: The video shows you screaming at him while he begged you to stop.