Chapter 3

3

Under the escort of the mall security, I was "invited" into the VIP lounge.

Beatrice sat on the main sofa like a conquering queen, sipping tea her assistant had brought.

Willow huddled next to Beckett like a frightened bird. She kept shooting me quick, smug glances when nobody was looking.

Mr. Miller, the mall manager, was currently sweating as he stood before Beatrice. He was acting incredibly submissive.

"Mrs. Sterling, please don't be upset. We will definitely give you a satisfactory resolution."

"Should we call the police now, or…"

"The police?"

Beatrice sneered and set down her teacup. Her cold gaze scraped over my face.

"That's too easy for her. Once she has a criminal record, people will gossip about my son dating a thief."

"The Sterling family cannot afford to lose face like that."

She paused, her malice completely unconcealed.

"Strip search her."

"I want everyone to see how low and filthy this liar actually is."

A strip search? This was pure humiliation.

Mr. Miller looked troubled.

"Mrs. Sterling, that's against the rules. We don't have the legal right to search her…"

Beatrice cut him off instantly.

"Mr. Miller, do I need to remind you how much the Sterlings spend at Grand Horizon every year?"

"If you protect this thief today, you can deal with the consequences yourself."

That one sentence made Mr. Miller's forehead break out in a cold sweat.

He didn't hesitate anymore. He turned to me and spoke in a formal tone.

"Miss, to prove your innocence, please cooperate. Otherwise, we'll have to call the cops."

I looked at everyone in the room. I saw Beatrice's arrogance, Willow's excitement, Beckett's numbness, and the manager's greed.

"Fine," I said calmly. "I'll cooperate."

I walked to the coffee table in the center of the room. Under everyone's watchful eyes, I emptied my limited-edition Hermes bag.

A wallet, keys, phone, a lipstick, and a pack of tissues.

Everything was laid out on the table. It was incredibly simple.

Beatrice frowned. She stepped forward and searched the bag herself, even feeling the lining, but found nothing.

"Impossible," she screamed. "You must have hidden it on your person!"

Her eyes locked onto my pockets.

I was wearing a sharp, tailored Chanel blazer. I ignored the security guards and met the eager glares of Beatrice and Willow.

A small smile played on my lips.

"You really want to see it that badly?"

In front of everyone, I slowly reached into my blazer pocket.

It felt like everyone in the room stopped breathing.

When I pulled my hand out, a dazzling sapphire brooch was resting in my palm.

The deep blue stone reflected the cold, harsh lights of the room.

"Oh! You found it!"

Willow was the first to cry out. She quickly covered her mouth as if realizing she had spoken too soon.

Her eyes turned red again. "Sister… how could you actually do it…"

Beatrice was ecstatic. She pointed at me and screamed at Beckett and the manager.

"Do you see? Caught red-handed! I told you she was a thief!"

Mr. Miller sighed in relief and signaled the guards.

Two security guards stepped forward, flanking me to prevent any escape.

The room was filled with looks of disdain, contempt, and joy at my downfall.

Beckett stared at me, his last bit of hesitation disappearing.

He walked up to me, his voice carrying the weight of a righteous judge.

"Elara, I gave you a chance. Now that you've been caught, what do you have to say for yourself?"

He looked at me with pure loathing.

"Why? Why would you do this? Because my mother didn't approve of us?"

"Or because you're jealous of Willow? You used such a low tactic for revenge? You've completely failed me."

I looked at his handsome but incredibly stupid face and suddenly laughed.

At that moment, my heart finally went cold.