The bright white marble floor of the Dallas mansion was cold against Maria’s bare feet as she scrubbed the foyer. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the pristine grandeur of the estate. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream shattered the quiet afternoon.

Maria looked up, her heart pounding against her ribs. High above on the second-floor balcony, her employer, Victoria Vance, held a tiny white bundle over the polished wooden railing.

Victoria: "You think you can take everything from me?"

Maria: "Mrs. Vance, please! What are you doing?"

Victoria: "He loves this child more than me! Let's see how much he loves her now!"

Before Maria could even process the words, Victoria opened her hands. The white blanket plummeted toward the hard marble floor below.

Maria: "NO!"

Adrenaline surged through Maria’s veins. She didn't think; she moved. She threw her body across the slippery marble, sliding frantically with her arms outstretched. Her knees scraped violently against the tile seam, but she paid no attention to the pain.

With a desperate, blinding effort, Maria tucked her arms together. The heavy bundle collided with her forearms, breaking the fall just inches above the rock-hard floor. Maria curled her body in on herself, clutching the tiny infant wrapped tightly in the white blanket against her chest.

Maria: "I’ve got you! You’re safe... oh god, you’re safe."

Tears poured down Maria’s freckled cheeks as the baby began to cry. Maria held the child close, her body shaking hysterically from the sheer terror of the moment. She pressed her forehead against the baby’s forehead, gasping for air.

Footsteps thundered outside, and the grand double front doors slammed open. Arthur Vance, dressed in a sleek black suit, rushed into the foyer. He took one look at the scene—Maria crying on the floor with the baby, and Victoria standing dramatically above on the balcony.

Victoria: "Arthur! Thank God you're home! She tried to kill our baby! She dropped her over the railing!"

Maria froze, her blood running cold as Arthur turned his furious gaze upon her.