Chapter 2: The Digital Alibi
Julian swallowed hard, his eyes locked on the small plastic housing of the security camera. Victoria scoffed, crossing her arms tightly over the one-shoulder emerald green fabric of her dress. Her expression twisted into a look of absolute disdain as she stepped protectively closer to the stroller.
"Don't listen to her hysterics, Julian," Victoria snapped, her voice dripping with calculated venom. "She’s buying time to invent a story. She was leaning over the bassinet with her hands on the baby. I saw her with my own eyes. Are you going to believe your wife, or the hired help who can’t even keep her balance?"
Elena remained on her knees, the cold stone biting through her wet uniform trousers. She kept her arm raised, pointing steadily at the red light. "The system saves everything to the cloud," Elena whispered, her teeth chattering slightly from the chill. "Every angle. The motion sensor was triggered five minutes ago. You’ll see. Please, Julian."
Julian looked down at little Leo, then back at Victoria. The anger in his wife’s eyes felt heavy, but the sheer terror in Elena’s face was unmistakable. In the six months Elena had worked for them, she had never raised her voice, never been late, and had shown nothing but profound gentleness toward the baby. Victoria, on the other hand, had been increasingly erratic, stressed by the pressures of motherhood and the demands of her social circle.
"Let's go inside," Julian said quietly, his voice low and firm. He adjusted the baby in his arms, ensuring Leo remained secure against his chest. "We’ll pull the footage on the monitor in the den. If Elena is lying, I’ll call the police myself. If she isn't..." He left the sentence hanging, but the heavy silence that followed spoke volumes.
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Victoria’s jaw tightened. A fleeting micro-expression of panic crossed her features before she smoothed her expression back into cold fury. "Fine. But she stays out here until we verify it. I won't have her stepping foot inside our home again tonight."
"She’s coming inside," Julian said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He turned toward the sliding glass door, the blue glow of the pool casting long, shifting shadows behind them as they retreated from the dark patio into the warmth of the house.
