Chapter 2
The heavy oak doors of the grand foyer remained locked from the inside, sealing off the sprawling estate from the outside world. Julian gently guided Elena away from the web-like crack of the massive ornate mirror on the hallway wall.
"Are you unharmed, Elena?" Julian asked softly, his voice losing its chilling edge as he checked her for any physical injury. "I am fine, Mr. Vance, the glass only caught the edge of my apron," Elena answered steadily, her voice entirely devoid of fear.
A framed US flag hung securely on the wall nearby, casting a quiet, dignified light over the tense confrontation. Evelyn hovered near the base of the grand staircase, her blonde updo slightly disheveled from the sudden shock of the confrontation.
"I demand that you dismiss her immediately before I call our corporate attorneys to dismantle your position," Evelyn threatened bitterly. Julian turned his head slowly, looking at Evelyn as if she were a minor insect beneath his polished leather shoe.
"Your corporate authority in this estate was revoked the moment you raised your hands against an expectant mother," Julian stated flatly. Elena looked up at the security dome camera on the ceiling, knowing that digital evidence was her ultimate shield.
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"The security team has already secured the high-definition video files from the hallway server," Elena noted quietly. Evelyn gasped, clutching her chest as her elaborate web of lies began to unravel completely before her eyes.
The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the faint ticking of an antique grandfather clock near the library.
