Downstairs in his private study, Marcus Sterling was mid-sentence while reviewing a complicated real estate contract with his lead lawyer. The sudden sound of screaming and loud slapping coming from the upper floor caused him to stop talking immediately. His heart sank as he recognized the high-pitched crying of his infant son ringing through the grand hallways. Throwing his gold pen onto the mahogany desk, Marcus pushed his heavy leather chair back and bolted out of the room. He ran up the grand marble staircase two steps at a time, his black tuxedo jacket flying behind him as his instinct as a father took full control over his mind.
He reached the upper hallway just as another loud scream shattered the silence of the house. Marcus sprinted toward the master suite, his heavy running footsteps echoing against the hardwood floors. He reached the heavy double doors of the master bathroom and slammed them open with immense force, revealing the chaos inside. Bright sunlight poured over the wet white marble floor, shining directly on the large American flag mounted above the tub. Marcus stood in the doorway, breathless and horrified by the scene unfolding right in front of his eyes.
Father: No! What did you do?!
Marcus yelled in a panicked, booming voice, his eyes darting from his wet, weeping baby to the furious maid standing tall in the center of the room. Elena held the sobbing infant tightly against her chest, her own uniform soaked with cold tub water. She pointed her finger directly at Victoria, who was cowering against the edge of the marble vanity with red handprints blazing across her pale cheeks. The air inside the bathroom was heavy with tension, so thick that it felt almost impossible to breathe.
Maid: Sir, she deliberately threw your baby into the bathtub to drown him!
Victoria: She is lying, Marcus! This crazy servant attacked me out of nowhere!
Maid: I saw it with my own two eyes! She threw Leo into the deep water and watched him drown!
Marcus looked down at his son's tear-streaked, reddened face as the baby sobbed hysterically, gasping for air in Elena's protective arms. The sight of his innocent child shivering and trembling broke Marcus's heart into a million painful pieces. He walked forward with trembling steps and gently reached out, taking little Leo into his strong arms. He held the baby close to his chest, feeling the frantic, rapid heartbeat of his young son against his own ribs. Drops of water fell from the baby's hair onto Marcus's suit jacket, each drop acting as physical proof of the horrific crime that had just taken place.
Father: Shh, it is okay, daddy has got you now. You are safe, my little boy.
Marcus whispered tenderly into the baby's soft hair, his voice cracking with deep emotional pain and rising anger. He looked up from his child and stared at Victoria, his brown eyes turning as cold and hard as ice. The woman he had brought into his home, the woman he had given his trust and wealth to, had just attempted to murder his only son for money. The realization hit him like a physical blow, wiping away any trace of love or affection he had ever felt for her. The love in his eyes was instantly replaced by an explosive, uncontrollable paternal fury that made Victoria back away in utter terror.