David rushed into the nursery, his black tuxedo jacket unbuttoned, his breathing fast and heavy. He looked from Elena, who was shaking while holding the weeping baby, over to Victoria, who was standing nearby with a strange, startled look on her polished face. The room felt charged with raw tension.
David: Why is my daughter crying like this?!
Victoria instantly changed her posture, throwing her hands up to her face as if she were the victim of a sudden violent attack. She squeezed out fake tears and pointed a shaking finger at Elena, stepping quickly toward her husband with wide, panicked eyes.
Victoria: She attacked me! I was only trying to comfort your daughter!
David blinked in confusion, his mind struggling to process the scene. He looked at Elena, the woman who had served his household with complete loyalty since before his late wife had passed away. Elena did not step back. She stepped forward, gently shifting the sobbing baby so David could see the tiny, red marks on Lily's arm where Victoria’s long nails had squeezed too hard.
Elena: Comfort her? I walked in and found her terrified in your hands!
Victoria: She is lying, David! She wants to frame me so she can ask you for more money!
Elena: Look at your daughter’s arm, sir! Look at her eyes! A baby does not cry like this over nothing!
David looked down at his tiny daughter. Lily’s face was red, covered in big tears, and her tiny fingers grabbed onto David’s sleeve the moment he stepped close. The father felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. He looked closely at the marks on his child’s skin, then looked back into Victoria’s panicked eyes. The truth hit him like a physical blow.
He stepped in front of Victoria, his body blocking her completely from the baby. His voice turned into a low, terrifying growl that made the room freeze. The warm, mild father was gone, replaced by a man ready to protect his blood at any cost.
David: You terrified my daughter inside her own home. You're finished here!
Victoria: David, darling, please listen to me! I am your wife!
David: You are a monster. Get away from my family!
David carefully took Lily into his own big arms, holding her head gently against his neck. The little girl’s loud sobs slowly turned into soft hiccups as she felt her father’s strong heartbeat. Two large mansion security guards rushed into the doorway, having heard the noise from the lower main floor.
David turned his head slowly, giving his weeping wife a cold, final glare that carried no mercy whatsoever. The security team stood ready at the door, waiting for their employer’s final command.
David: Touch my child again, and you'll answer for every tear she cried.