Chief Miller stepped across the threshold, followed by two armed patrol officers with their hands resting on their holsters.
Chief Miller: David! We got here as fast as the squad cars could make the hill. Where is the child? Is Liam hurt?
David: Liam is safe in my arms, Miller. He’s completely unharmed, thanks to Elena.
Victoria immediately burst into loud, theatrical sobs, clutching her face with trembling hands as she stumbled toward the officers.
Victoria: Chief Miller! Oh God, thank goodness you’re here! David has completely lost his mind! He assaulted me!
Chief Miller stopped in his tracks, his experienced eyes scanning the foyer, taking in Elena’s bleeding knees and torn apron.
Chief Miller: Ma'am, please step back against the wall and keep your hands where we can see them.
Victoria: You need to arrest that maid right now! She dropped my baby from the balcony, and David is trying to protect her because they’re sleeping together!
Elena: That is a disgusting lie, Mrs. Vance!
Chief Miller: Quiet down, everyone! David, what is going on here? Your dispatch call stated an attempted homicide.
David: It was an attempted homicide, Chief. But I was mistaken about who was standing on the balcony.
David handed the tablet directly to Chief Miller, pointing to the paused video frame on the screen.
David: Press play, Miller. This is the raw security feed from nine minutes ago.
Chief Miller took the tablet, his thick eyebrows pulling together as the two deputies leaned in over his shoulder to watch.
The foyer fell into absolute silence, broken only by the quiet cooing of baby Liam and the slow ticking of the grandfather clock.
Chief Miller watched the screen intently. He saw Victoria walk out onto the mezzanine holding the child.
He saw her look over the railing, glance behind her, extend both arms fully out over the drop, and let go of the blanket.
He watched Elena dive across the stone floor, catching the baby inches from the hard marble.
Chief Miller slowly lifted his gaze from the screen, his face turning hard as granite.
Chief Miller: Sweet Jesus Christ in heaven.
Victoria: It was a cramp, Miller! You know my father! My father was Judge Harrington! He appointed you to the county board!
Chief Miller: I don't give a damn if your father was the Governor, Victoria.
Chief Miller turned to the two deputies standing beside him, his voice flat and commanding.
Chief Miller: Cuff her. Attempted first-degree murder, felony child endangerment, and filing a false police report.
Deputy Kowalski: Turn around, ma'am. Put your hands behind your back right now.
Victoria: Don't touch me! Get your filthy hands off my clothes! David, tell them to stop!
The deputy grabbed Victoria’s wrists, twisting them behind her back with swift, practiced efficiency.
The heavy steel handcuffs clicked shut around her wrists with a sharp, echoing snap.
Victoria: David! You can't let them take me to a public jail! Think about what this will do to my family name!
David: You stopped being part of this family the second you let go of my boy.
Victoria: I’ll sue you! I’ll take every penny in your offshore accounts! I’ll destroy you!
David: Richard Sterling will have your bail denied before midnight. You won't see a dime, Victoria. Not one single cent.
The deputies hauled the screaming, struggling woman out through the double doors, her silk robe trailing across the gravel as they shoved her into the back of the cruiser.
The heavy car doors slammed shut, and the wailing sirens gradually faded down the winding estate road.
Chief Miller took off his cap, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief as he looked over at Elena.
Chief Miller: Young lady, that dive was nothing short of a miracle. If you were a half-second slower, this would have been a crime scene investigation.
Elena: I just did what anyone would do, Chief.
David: No, Elena. You did what only a true protector would do.
David walked over to Elena, gently handing baby Liam into her safe arms before dropping to one knee beside Chloe.
David: Chloe, thank you. If you hadn't brought that tablet downstairs, I might have made the most horrific mistake of my entire life.
Chloe: I knew Elena would never hurt Liam, Daddy. She loves us.
A solitary tear rolled down David’s cheek as he pulled his daughter into a tight, trembling embrace.
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