The grandfather clock in the marble foyer chimed five in the evening as Liam hurried through the heavy front doors, shaking the rain from his coat.
A piercing, frantic cry broke the silence of the sprawling suburban estate, echoing straight down from the upstairs nursery.
Liam froze mid-step, dropping his briefcase onto the polished hardwood floor as his heart hammered against his ribs.
Liam: What is that noise? Maya? Evelyn?
He took the stairs two at a time, rounding the banister just as the bedroom door flew wide open.
Maya: Stop! Leave the baby alone!
Maya was backed up against the crib, clutching tiny six-month-old Sophia tightly against her chest while trembling from head to toe.
Maya: Shh, I've got you. You're safe now, baby girl.
Standing directly over them with her hand raised was Evelyn, dressed in an immaculate cashmere sweater, her eyes blazing with fury.
Liam: Evelyn! What in God's name are you doing?
Evelyn: Liam! Thank God you're home. This incompetent girl was neglecting Sophia again!
Maya: That is a complete lie, Mr. Vance! She hurts the baby every time you leave this house!
Evelyn: How dare you utter such disgusting slander under my family's roof!
Liam: Evelyn, lower your voice right now. What did you just say, Maya?
Maya: She pinched her leg until she screamed, Liam! Look at her skin right now!
Evelyn: Liam, look at me! I am your flesh and blood! Are you seriously listening to some hired hand from an agency?
Liam: Let me see my daughter, Maya. Hand her to me.
Liam gently unwrapped the pink floral blanket, and a dark, fresh purple bruise on Sophia's tiny thigh caught the chandelier light.
Liam: What is this? Evelyn, explain this right now!
Evelyn: She probably bumped her leg against the wooden railing while this careless brat was staring at her phone!
Maya: I have proof, Mr. Vance. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I turned my phone on this morning.
Evelyn: You wouldn't dare touch me or accuse me! Liam, get this crazy woman out of your house before she ruins our lives!
Liam: Evelyn, shut your mouth and don't take another step forward.
Maya held up her phone with trembling fingers, her screen glowing with an active video playback that was about to turn their entire world upside down.
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