The heavy front doors clicked shut as the police escort dragged a screaming Victoria out to the patrol cars. The mansion fell into an almost eerie, quiet stillness, broken only by the soft cooing of baby Leo.
Ethan: "Elena... are you alright?"
Elena: "I’m fine, Mr. Vance. My knees are a little bruised, but Leo isn't hurt at all. That’s all that matters."
Ethan: "Please, sit down on the couch. Let me get you some water."
Elena: "No, no, sir, I’m just the maid. I shouldn't—"
Ethan: "Stop calling yourself just the maid. Today, you saved my son’s life. You showed more love and courage for Leo than the woman I was foolish enough to marry."
Ethan sat down beside her on the plush velvet sofa, looking intently into Elena’s exhausted face. He noticed the worn fabric of her uniform, the subtle freckles across her nose, and the fierce, protective way her arms remained wrapped around the baby.
Ethan: "How long have you worked for us, Elena?"
Elena: "Just six months, sir. Ever since my mother passed away and I had to leave nursing school."
Ethan: "You were in nursing school?"
Elena: "Yes, sir. I had one year left, but when my mom got sick, the hospital bills took everything. The mortgage on our small house went into foreclosure, so I had to take whatever job I could find to pay off her medical debts."
Ethan: "And Victoria... how did she treat you during these six months?"
Elena lowered her eyes, hesitating for a moment before speaking the truth.
Elena: "She was very strict, sir. She docked my pay whenever I spent too much time comforting Leo. She told me my job was only to clean the floors, not to love the baby."
Ethan: "She wanted Leo isolated. She was preparing to eliminate him all along, wasn't she?"
Elena: "I noticed things, Mr. Vance. She would leave his crib near open windows, or leave small objects on the carpet where he crawled. I thought she was just careless, so I stayed close to him every second I could."
Ethan: "You were guarding him without even knowing the full danger."
Elena: "I lost my own mother, Mr. Vance. I couldn't stand the thought of this poor baby growing up without anyone looking out for him."
Ethan looked at his son, who was now sleeping peacefully against Elena’s chest, clutching her thumb with his tiny hand.
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