Elena threw her arms wide as the small boy tumbled down the final four steps.
She managed to catch Leo safely against her chest right before he hit the marble floor.
The heavy impact knocked the breath straight out of her lungs for a brief second.
She wrapped her arms securely around the crying boy to protect him from further injury.
Leo sobbed hysterically into her shoulder while trembling uncontrollably from the violent shock.
Elena stroked his soft hair gently to soothe his racing heart down a bit.
She raised her gaze upward toward the top of the grand staircase with pure outrage.
Victoria was strutting down the stairs slowly with a cold sneer on her face.
Victoria: Hand that worthless brat back to me right now, servant!
Elena stood her ground firmly and placed herself between Victoria and the small child.
Elena: Get your hands away from him!
Victoria reached out aggressively to grab Leo by his small suit jacket collar.
Elena shoved Victoria's arms away forcefully to prevent her from touching the child again.
Victoria stumbled back a step, her face red with sudden humiliation and boiling anger.
Victoria: How dare a low-class housemaid touch me like that in my own house!
Elena: I will never let you hurt this innocent boy while I am breathing!
Victoria raised her hand threateningly to slap Elena across her defensive face.
Elena held her ground firmly without flinching or stepping backward even an inch.
She knew the heavy front door lock was about to turn open at any second.
Richard Sterling had just pulled his black limousine up into the circular front driveway.
The heavy iron front doors suddenly burst open with a loud thundering sound.