Julian rushed across the foyer and immediately took his crying daughter into his strong arms.
He checked Lily's arms and legs carefully to make sure she was not bruised or broken.
Julian: What happened here?! Why was my daughter on the floor?!
Clara pointed a trembling finger directly down at Elena, who was slowly standing up.
Clara: She dropped her, Julian! She was holding Lily on the balcony and lost her grip!
Elena gasped in utter disbelief at the sharp accusation coming from the rich woman's mouth.
Elena: That is not true, sir! I was down here in the foyer the whole time!
Clara: She is lying to protect her job! I saw her carry Lily up there moments ago!
Julian turned his furious glare toward Elena, his hands trembling as he held his daughter tight.
Julian: Is this how you take care of my family after everything I paid you?!
Elena: Please, Mr. Vance, you have to listen to me! I slid across the floor to catch her!
Clara: Look at her uniform, Julian! She was obviously careless and panicked!
Elena looked down at her torn dress and bruised knees from her hard slide across the marble.
The pain in her legs was nothing compared to the fear rising in her chest.
She knew that if Julian believed his wife, she would lose her job and face police charges.
She would never be able to afford a lawyer to defend her against a wealthy family.
Julian: Pack your things, Elena. I want you out of this house right now!
Elena: Sir, I am telling you the truth! Ask the estate security staff to check the footage!
Clara's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the security cameras installed throughout the mansion.
She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Julian's arm to pull his attention away from the maid.
Clara: Don't waste time on her excuses, Julian. Call the police and fire her immediately!
Julian looked down at his daughter, who was still clinging tightly to his neck.
He saw the bruised knees on the young maid and the genuine terror in her tearful eyes.
Something about Clara's rush to judgment made him pause for a brief, heavy moment.
He remembered that Clara had recently asked to change the terms of the family's trust fund.
The trust fund gave full control of the estate to Lily if anything ever happened to Julian.
If Lily were out of the picture, Clara would become the sole heir to the entire fortune.
Julian looked back at Elena, his expression changing from pure rage to quiet suspicion.
Julian: Nobody is leaving this house until I see what the cameras recorded today.