"I'm not feeling guilty or anything. If you really think I took your jade pendant, then go ahead and call the cops. They can check the cameras, question people, whatever needs to be done. I've got nothing to hide and I won't argue about it." "You! There are no cameras! It was a gathering of friends and family; we had no need for surveillance!"
Beaten in the verbal sparring, the woman hastily turned to Mr. Smith, pouting, "You know how vital that jade pendant is. If the police get involved, the news of its disappearance will be public knowledge, and then..." Oh, so there are no security cameras, huh?
Charlotte goes, "No cameras, so you think you can just trash my reputation like that? There's a bunch of people around here; why are you only hassling me? Are you doing this on purpose, picking on me?"
At this point, the bemused crowd and Mr. Smith suddenly remembered to inquire about Charlotte's identity.
"And who might you be, miss? Which family do you belong to?"
"I'm the assistant to Mr. Parker of the Parker Group. Mr. Parker stained his shirt, and I've brought a replacement."
The mention of 'Parker Group' cast a few seconds of hushed silence over the room, causing Mr. Smith's face to twitch involuntarily.
If this thing's tied up with the Parker Group, and Charlotte's calling it out so bluntly, they gotta handle it right. If they don't, it could be seen as 'disrespectful', and Liam might hold them responsible. Seeing the tide turn, the woman instinctively glanced toward the empty balcony on the second floor.
With no other option, she blurted out, "If you claim to be innocent, then submit to a search! Find nothing, and I'll apologize myself!"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
"If you're the one who took it, then don't be surprised when I don't play nice!"
"Liam!"
Above the clamor, Liam gripped the balcony railing, his expression dark as a storm.
Chloe clutched at him, "Can't you see Charlotte is intentionally dragging the Parker Group into this mess?!"
"If she's innocent, great, but if she's not, she must face the consequences!"
"Charging in to vouch for her without a second thought-what if she's actually guilty? That's gonna make the Parker Group look real bad."
Liam was staring Chloe down like he was really mad, "You're that certain she took the jade pendant?"
"No... it's not that. Didn't they say she bumped into someone? What if the pendant got knocked off then?"
"And it just happened to land on her, with pinpoint accuracy?"
Chloe fell silent.
In any normal collision, items should hit the ground first; the chances of landing in someone's pocket are slim to none.
She didn't expect Liam to catch on that something was off so quickly
"Dragging the Parker Group into this mess?!" Liam scoffed coldly. "By humiliating my employee, isn't that what they're doing? Should I just turn a blind eye?"
Chloe's complexion shifted drastically. "Liam, they wouldn't dare; it's all standard procedure! Everyone relevant has been checked. It's not a targeted investigation of Charlotte!"
"Then why did they refuse when she suggested calling the police?"
Liam looked seriously mad, one hand on Chloe's shoulder, and he said in a voice so low only the two of them could hear, "Keep your sneaky side hidden well, 'cause if I find out..." "Liam... what are you going to do?!" Chloe paled, defending herself, "I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Then why stop me?"
In a flash of inspiration born of desperation, Chloe blurted out, "Because I believe Charlotte wouldn't do such a thing!"
Liam held her gaze for a moment longer, then strode away with purpose.
"If you can't find that jade pendant on me, then I expect a public apology," Charlotte declared with confidence, her arms open wide as she invited the household staff to search her. The servants combed through her belongings not once, but thrice, and came up empty-handed.
The woman's facade crumbled into panic. "This can't be! What about her hat? Did you check the hat?"
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"Yes, we checked everything, the jade pendant isn't with her," the servant confirmed, their voice steady amidst the growing tension.
"No, this can't be happening... It has to be here!"
The woman, now visibly shaken, scurried down and frantically patted down Charlotte herself, her hands trembling as the realization set in that the pendant was truly not there. Chloe had insisted that she use the real family heirloom jade pendant to bolster her credibility.
It took much pleading and promises of securing a lucrative deal for the family before her father relented and gave her the pendant.
But now, the pendant was gone.
And so, it seemed, was her future.
"Where is the jade pendant?" the woman demanded, her eyes burning with desperation as she clutched at Charlotte's collar, shaking her hysterically. "Where have you hidden my jade pendant!" "I've told you already, I haven't taken it," Charlotte replied calmly.
"You're lying! It was in your hat..." the woman caught herself too late, clamping her mouth shut.
The murmurs of the guests turned into a cacophony of whispers, their gazes upon her now laced with suspicion.
"May I leave now?" Charlotte asked, cutting through the chatter to address the host who sat at the head of the room, Mr. Smith, who now looked visibly aged and weary from the ordeal.
"Miss Perry, is it? This has all been a big misunderstanding. I'll make sure to explain things to Mr. Parker personally. You shouldn't worry about this incident or take it to heart," Mr. Smith offered, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Thanks," Charlotte replied with a light, acknowledging smile.
She was aware that Chloe was behind this setup and that Liam wouldn't hold her accountable.
Nonetheless, she made sure to drag Liam into the spotlight before everyone.
He could choose not to pursue the matter, but he needed to be aware of Chloe's machinations!
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The festive atmosphere of the party had since cooled, leaving guests in quiet anticipation of how the situation would unfold.
The attendees, sharp as they were, could see through the blatant setup directed at Liam's assistant from Parker Group.
All eyes were on how Liam would handle the crisis.
The woman who lost her ancestral jade pendant was quickly whisked away by her family, and on her way out, Charlotte encountered them again.
The woman was in a frenzy, being hauled off like a pig for slaughter by men who resembled her father and brothers, clearly distraught by the day's events.
Passing by the lake once more, Charlotte noticed the absence of the white birds that had graced its center earlier; now, there was nothing but the shimmer of the water.
She reflected on the day's close call-if not for the delay caused by birdwatching, and overhearing the bodyguards' conversation, she wouldn't have been alert to the impending danger.
She never would have guessed that the jade pendant could be hidden in a secret compartment of her hat, which would have made her a marked criminal.
Upon reaching the main gate, Charlotte was surprised to find it still under lockdown.
However, the guards' demeanor had softened considerably. "The jade pendant is of great importance, and the old master insists on its return. You're not under suspicion and are free to leave, just avoid the other guests." One guard advised, nodding discreetly towards the noisy, entitled young masters and mistresses demanding to depart.
With a clear understanding of the situation, Charlotte inquired about an alternate exit and headed toward a smaller door.
The guard offered to escort her, but mistrustful, she declined.
But ten minutes later, Charlotte realized that refusal was the gravest mistake of her day.
Out of the darkness, a shadow lunged at her, a hand clamped over her mouth before she could react, dragging her into an abandoned storeroom.
Thrown into a pile of discarded items, her body screamed in pain.
The dim moonlight revealed her assailant, panting heavily-it was Malcolm Blackwell!
This man, who had been the general manager just days before, now appeared disheveled, now looked a mess. His hair was greasy, his clothes were all over the place, and his eyes were bloodshot, like some sort of wild animal. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte asked, "Malcolm, are you trying to kidnap me?"