The tension in the foyer was so thick that the quiet hum of the air conditioning sounded deafening.
Richard: Jackson, pull up the interior cloud backup from this morning.
Margarethe: The foyer cameras are turned off for family privacy! You agreed to that!
Richard: The main cameras are off. The secondary high-security feeds for insurance are never off.
Margarethe backed away until the back of her legs hit the bottom step of the staircase.
Margarethe: You spied on me?
Richard: I protect my home and my child. Put it on the main display, Jackson.
Jackson tapped the security interface, keying in his master override code.
The main foyer camera feed popped up on the high-definition monitor.
The footage showed Lily holding a dust cloth near the base of the staircase bookcase.
Margarethe walked into the frame holding a cup of espresso, glancing over Lily's shoulder.
The video clearly showed Lily pulling the taped drive from underneath the bottom shelf.
Lily on video: What is this?
Margarethe on video: Give me that, you stupid little brat!
On screen, Margarethe violently ripped the drive from Lily's fingers.
When Lily reached to take it back, Margarethe shoved her hard, sending her crashing into the antique console table.
The heavy crystal vase tipped over, smashing across the white stone with a sharp crack that echoed through the speakers.
Then, the camera showed Margarethe stepping forward and striking Lily hard across the face.
Richard: You told me you tripped.
Margarethe stood frozen, her eyes darting between the monitor and the heavy oak front door.
Margarethe: She provoked me! She wouldn't listen!
Richard: She is ten years old!
Margarethe: You don't understand the pressure I was under! The banks were freezing my accounts!
Richard: You assaulted my daughter in my home and tried to rob her future.
Margarethe: We can fix this, Richard. We don't have to ruin our family over a bad morning!
Richard: We are not a family. You are a predator who wormed your way into this house.
Margarethe: Think about your public image! The Sterling Foundation cannot survive a messy scandal!
Richard: My public image means nothing compared to the safety of my daughter.
Richard turned to Officer Jackson.
Richard: Jackson, call the local sheriff's department. Tell them to dispatch units immediately.
Margarethe: No! Do not call the police!
Margarethe lunged forward toward the phone console, but Marcus stepped between them instantly.
Officer Marcus: Stand back, Mrs. Sterling.
Margarethe: Get out of my way! Richard, call off your dogs!
Richard: They work for me, Margarethe. Not for you.
Lily hid her face in the fold of Richard's robe, her small body trembling.
Richard placed his hand gently on top of her head, stroking her hair.
Richard: It's over, Lily. She will never lay a hand on you again.
Margarethe: If you call the cops, I will hire the best divorce lawyer in the country! I will drag your name through the mud!
Richard: Hire whoever you want. Your signature on these trust liquidation papers is bank fraud.
Margarethe: It was an internal transfer request! No crime was committed!
Richard: Falsifying bank authorizations over five million dollars carries up to thirty years in federal prison.
Margarethe gasped, her eyes darting frantically across the grand room.
Margarethe: Federal prison? You wouldn't do that to your wife!
Richard: You stopped being my wife the moment you struck my daughter.
The distant sound of sirens began to echo through the long private driveway outside.
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