She learns there were security cameras near the jewelry room, yet the crucial camera was “off” exactly when the jewel vanished. That detail is dismissed as “not relevant.”
Meanwhile, Eleanor goes on the offensive. She hires a star attorney, Dr. Victor Hale, and turns the case into a spectacle. Headlines scream “Housemaid Steals from Aldridges.”
News outlets repeat the story as fact. Eleanor feeds subtle lies to reporters, hinting that Lucia has money problems and a shady past. Daniel, uncomfortable with the cruelty but too weak to oppose his mother, chooses silence.
Noah senses that something is terribly wrong. Eleanor tells him Lucia did something bad, but he doesn’t believe it. He hides their drawing in his drawer and holds onto the memories of her songs, her hugs, her stories.
As the trial begins, the courtroom feels like a theater. Eleanor fills it with reporters and important guests. Lucia arrives alone, wearing her old maid’s uniform—the only decent clothes she owns.