The grand foyer of the Vance estate always smelled like fresh white lilies and expensive lemon polish.
High marble pillars stretched up toward a massive glass chandelier that filled the room with bright daylight.
Elena adjusted the sleeves of her gray housemaid uniform as she walked down the polished hallway.
She had worked for the Vance family for over four years and treated every room with great care.
Her main duty was caring for little baby Clara while managing the daily house tasks.
Adrian Vance was a busy corporate executive who spent long hours managing his family trust fund and real estate investments.
His young daughter Maya from his first marriage was twelve years old and mostly kept to herself.
Six months ago, Adrian had married Victoria, a glamorous former model with a thirst for high status.
Victoria constantly demanded expensive vacations, new designer clothing, and absolute control over the family budget.
She also treated the household staff with cold disdain and made frequent demands at all hours of the night.
Elena always kept her head down and focused entirely on providing safety for tiny little baby Clara.
On this clear tuesday afternoon, the house was unusually quiet while Adrian worked inside his home office.
Victoria walked out of her master bedroom wearing a long silk gown and bright red lipstick.
She looked down at Elena with an icy glare that made the room feel suddenly chilly.
Victoria: Elena, why is the baby stroller parked near the top of the grand staircase?
Elena: I just brought Clara up for her nap, Mrs. Vance.
Victoria: You leave things cluttering the walkway and expect me to clean up your mess.
Elena: I am so sorry, I was just grabbing her blanket from the nursery.
Victoria folded her arms and stepped closer to the top edge of the marble stairs.
Her dark eyes flashed with an intense look that Elena had never seen before.
Elena felt a sudden chill run down her spine as she reached for the handles of the stroller.
She knew that Victoria was unhappy about the strict terms of Adrian's life insurance policy.
If anything happened to Clara, Victoria would stand to gain full control over the inheritance money.
Maya silently peeked out from behind the corner of the upper floor library door.
The young girl held her breath as she noticed her stepmother leaning toward the stroller handles.
Elena noticed Victoria's hands moving quickly toward the baby carrier on the upper step.
Elena: Please step away from the stroller, Mrs. Vance!
Victoria: Do not tell me what to do inside my own mansion!
Before Elena could take another step, Victoria gave the stroller a sudden push forward.
The heavy metal wheels clicked loudly against the polished edge of the top marble step.
The baby carriage began tilting over the dangerous descent toward the hard stone floor below.
Elena gasped in absolute horror as the stroller started rolling down the flight of stairs.
She did not think twice about her own safety as she sprinted forward down the marble path.