The sudden air left Leo's lungs as his small feet lost all balance on the slippery marble edge. A sharp scream echoed throughout the high ceilings of the empty foyer as his body tipped forward over the drop.
Leo: Ahhh!
The violent thud of the small boy's body bouncing against the hard edge of the marble steps echoed like a gunshot through the house. Maria did not hesitate for even a microsecond. Dropping her cleaning rag onto the floor, the brave housemaid lunged forward across the slick marble floor, throwing her own body directly into the falling child's path at the base of the staircase.
The heavy weight of the fall crashed straight into Maria's arms and shoulders, knocking the breath completely out of her lungs. She rolled onto her back, absorbing the dangerous impact against the hard floor while tightly wrapping her arms around Leo's small head and torso to protect him from hitting the bare stone. The boy shivered violently in her arms, crying hysterically as tears spilled down his red cheeks.
Above them on the middle step, Victoria stood still, adjusting the sleeve of her expensive white dress without a single trace of regret on her face. She looked down at Maria and the crying child as if they were nothing more than an unpleasant mess on the floor that needed to be cleaned up quickly.
Maria: Are you out of your mind? He is just a little boy!
Victoria: Watch your tone, Maria. You are nothing but hired help in this house, and you do not speak to me like that.
Maria: Don't you ever dare to touch him again!
Maria squeezed Leo tightly against her chest, feeling the boy's small heart racing wildly against her own ribs. She carefully checked his arms and legs for broken bones, noticing nasty red bruises already forming on his knees and forearms from the violent drop. Victoria began walking slowly down the remaining steps, her high heels clicking rhythmically on the marble surface, her chin lifted in arrogant defiance.
Victoria: The boy tripped over his own clumsy feet. You saw him, Maria. He was playing carelessly on the stairs against my explicit instructions. If you say anything else, I will see to it that you are fired without a reference by dinner time.
Leo: She pushed me, Maria! She pushed me real hard!
Maria: Shh, sweet baby, I know. I am right here with you. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore.
Victoria reached the bottom step and looked down at Maria with pure disdain, reaching into her white leather handbag to pull out a small golden compact mirror. She checked her lipstick calmly, as if nothing unusual had occurred in the foyer just moments prior.
Victoria: Your word against mine, Maria. Who do you think David will believe? His beautiful wife, or a domestic servant who can be replaced in twenty minutes?
Maria pulled Leo up into her lap, her eyes burning with intense anger as she cradled the crying boy. She knew Victoria was ruthless, but she had never imagined the woman would cross the line into outright violence against a helpless six-year-old child. But Maria possessed a powerful secret that Victoria knew nothing about. For the past two weeks, Maria had noticed suspicious behavior around the house and had taken quiet precautions to ensure the boy's safety in his father's absence.
Outside the front entrance, the heavy sound of a powerful car engine roared up the concrete driveway, followed immediately by the sharp screech of heavy rubber tires coming to a sudden halt on the gravel path.