The polished marble foyer of the sprawling Dallas estate felt colder than usual as Victoria stood near the bottom of the grand staircase, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Victoria: Please, Evelyn, just give him back to me!
Evelyn: You don't deserve this child, Victoria. You never did!
High above on the second-floor balcony, Evelyn held the tiny baby loosely over the golden railing, right near the framed American flag that hung on the grand wall.
Victoria: Stop, you're going to drop him! 🇺🇸
Evelyn: He belongs to this family, not to a lying outsider like you!
Victoria: He is my son! Don't do something you can't take back!
Evelyn's fingers loosened, and a sharp, horrified scream tore from Victoria's throat as the infant slipped from the upper balcony into the empty air.
Marcus: No!
Marcus darted across the black-and-white marble floor, his dark green suit jacket cutting through the air like a blur.
Victoria: Marcus, catch him!
Evelyn: You brought this on yourself!
Marcus threw his body forward, sliding hard onto his knees across the pristine white marble just as the infant fell.
Marcus: I've got him! I have him!
Victoria collapsed beside Marcus on the cold floor, her arms wrapping around both her husband and her sobbing baby boy.
Victoria: Is he okay? Tell me he's okay!
Marcus: He's breathing. He's safe, Victoria. I caught him.
Victoria pulled the crying child close to her chest, her entire body shaking with violent sobbed breaths as she looked up toward the upper balcony.
Victoria: You monster! You will pay for what you tried to do!
Evelyn: Think you can stop me?
Victoria slowly stood up, reaching into Marcus's inner suit jacket pocket to pull out a thick brown envelope that contained the truth that would destroy Evelyn forever.