Adrian picked up the baby and held her tightly against his chest in the center foyer.
Brenda hurried down the grand staircase while holding her shimmering gold dress off the floor.
She put her arm around Adrian and pointed her finger directly at Elena's pale face.
She claimed that Elena was jealous because her monthly hours had recently been reduced.
Brenda declared that the maid was unstable and dangerous to keep near young children.
Elena stood up slowly while rubbing her bruised elbow on the cold marble floor.
She begged Adrian to listen to the real truth of what happened on the stairs.
She explained that she had thrown her body forward to catch the falling stroller.
Brenda laughed coldly and told Adrian that the maid was making up desperate lies.
She urged her husband to call the police right away to lodge official charges.
Adrian looked at the dark marks on the white steps with a heavy heart.
He had always trusted Elena to look after his house and his young daughter.
Yet his new wife was standing beside him insisting that the maid was guilty.
The rich developer felt torn between his loyalty to his staff and his wife's frantic claims.
He told Elena to wait in the small formal sitting room near the foyer entrance.
Brenda pulled out her expensive smartphone to call the local Dallas police station immediately.
She demanded an officer come over right away to arrest their reckless household employee.
Elena sat quietly on the edge of a chair with her head lowered in sorrow.
She worried about her job, her clean record, and her ability to pay rent.
She prayed that someone would see the truth behind the stepmother's cruel scheme.
Meanwhile, Brenda paced back and forth across the marble room feeling completely triumphant.
She had wanted to hire her own personal staff for many weeks already.
Framing Elena seemed like the perfect way to get rid of the loyal housekeeper.
She wiped away fake tears as she spoke to the emergency operator on the line.
Adrian set the baby down in her portable crib inside the adjoining living room.
He walked back into the foyer to wait for the arrival of the police patrol car.
He looked toward the sitting room door with confusion and deep sorrow in his eyes.
He could not understand why a long-time employee would do something so dangerous.
The quiet atmosphere in the large mansion grew heavy with tension and unspoken fear.
Nobody noticed twelve-year-old Lily standing near the second-floor balcony railing high above.
She had been holding her smartphone while working on a video project for school.