Chapter 2 Accused Of Theft

Claire slowed to a halt. Gradually and with clear intention, she raised her eyes toward Jessie.

Something about that gaze made Jessie's chest tighten. She even shifted backward half a step before forcing herself to stop.

"Jessie, stop talking like that." Lorraine intervened with a sharp tone, though her hand rested protectively on Jessie's arm. "Claire might be... troublesome at times, but theft isn't something she'd do. Isn't that right, Claire?"

A carefully arranged smile appeared on Lorraine's face. "It's only a necklace. If you liked it, you could've asked me directly. Why go through the trouble of..."

"I didn't take it," Claire interrupted before Lorraine could finish, her voice steady and emotionless.

"You didn't?" Jessie scoffed and immediately reached for the old canvas tote Claire had left beside the sofa. "Then you won't mind if I check!"

Before she could grab it, Claire's hand shot forward and seized Jessie's wrist.

Her grip was firm and cold, as immovable as iron. Jessie stiffened instantly, unable to pull away.

Behind the thick frames of Claire's glasses, her eyes remained eerily composed. "You have no right to touch my belongings."

"Oh? Getting scared now?" Jessie's confidence faltered under that calm stare, a shiver creeping along her spine, yet she still shouted toward Lorraine. "Mom, look at her! She obviously took it! She's been in prison before-how could someone like her see diamonds and not get greedy?!"

Lorraine's brows drew together as she arranged a look of displeasure. "Claire, have we ever denied you anything in this house? If there was something you wanted, you only needed to ask. Why lower yourself to something like this? That necklace was a birthday present Jessie's father gave her. It's valued at more than three million. This isn't some small matter."

"I already told you I didn't take it." Claire let go of Jessie's wrist and spoke with measured calm, each word firm and deliberate.

"Of course you didn't," Jessie mocked while rubbing the reddened mark on her wrist, anger flashing through her eyes. Then her gaze sharpened suddenly. "Wait. Why does your bag look so full?"

Before Claire had the chance to answer, Jessie lunged forward. Her hand shot into the side pocket of the canvas tote and pulled out a velvet jewelry box.

"See? I knew it!" Jessie exclaimed, triumph spreading across her face as she flipped the lid open.

Inside rested a diamond necklace. Under the lights, it sparkled intensely, the central gem shining with blinding brilliance.

Lorraine inhaled sharply, her voice heavy with exaggerated disappointment. "Claire! Have we ever treated you poorly in this household? Yet you still did something like this? Do you understand what people will say about us? How will the family face anyone after this?"

"There's the proof," Jessie said with satisfaction, waving the jewelry box as if it were a prize. "What excuse do you have now? Mom, call the police. Let them take this ex-con back to where she belongs."

At the far side of the room, several maids working in the dining area couldn't stop themselves from whispering among each other.

"Who would've guessed she was that kind of person? She always looks so quiet, but those are the ones you can't trust."

"I heard she served time before. A real convict. There's no way Mr. Willis married her willingly-he must have been tricked."

"People never really change. Naturally, she'd aim for the most expensive thing she could find. A necklace worth over three million-has she ever even seen that much money before?"

"That's enough." Claire's quiet voice sliced through the chatter, and the room immediately fell silent.

Her eyes moved slowly from the necklace-flashy and almost offensive in its brilliance-to the two women standing in front of her, their expressions full of calculation and hostility.

The entire scene suddenly felt absurd and draining.

Three years of her life had been spent on these people in this house.

During that time, she had done more than her share for Jessie.

Jessie had beauty and very little else to rely on. Trouble followed her everywhere, and the family was always left cleaning up the chaos she created.

The last incident involved the Morgan family, and if Claire hadn't gone alone to handle the situation, Jessie would have paid a high price.

Unfortunately, Jessie turned against the very person who had helped her.

Claire had poured in everything she had, only to be rewarded with insults.

Slowly, Claire straightened her posture.

Her appearance hadn't changed. Her features were still plain, and the dress she wore remained ordinary. Yet the way she stood in the center of the room carried a different presence now, a quiet pressure that made the air feel heavier. Jessie felt a strange unease rising in her chest without understanding why.

"It's only a necklace," Claire said calmly. "And yet you went through all this effort just to put on this little show?"

"What are you trying to say? You think this is some kind of act?" Jessie shot back, her voice rising sharply.

Rather than argue, Claire simply stepped closer and extended her hand toward Jessie.

Startled, Jessie instinctively stepped backward while clutching the jewelry box tightly against her chest. "What do you think you're doing? Trying to get rid of the evidence?"

A faint smile appeared on Claire's lips.

In the next instant, her hand moved swiftly and the velvet box was snatched straight out of Jessie's grip.

"Hey!" Jessie barely managed to start protesting before Claire flicked her wrist.

The box sailed through the open front door in a smooth arc before plunging directly into the courtyard fountain with a loud splash.

"My necklace!" Jessie screamed as she dashed outside.

Lorraine's composure faltered, the color draining from her face.

Claire brushed her hands together casually, as though she had just discarded something completely worthless. Then she faced Lorraine again, her gaze steady and her tone cool and precise.

"Lorraine, setting me up like this is painfully obvious. Should we review the surveillance footage and see who placed that necklace inside my bag?"

Lorraine's expression stiffened. For a brief moment, no words came out of her mouth.

"And there's something else you should know." Claire kept her tone calm and steady. "Ten minutes ago, Cade and I signed the divorce papers. From this point forward, I have nothing to do with your family. I'm no longer your daughter-in-law, and you don't get to slander or insult me whenever you feel like it. As for that necklace, since it's sitting at the bottom of the fountain now, you can retrieve it yourselves."

Right after that, Claire didn't give either woman another glance. Without hesitation, she turned and walked upstairs.

Only after the faint sound of a door closing echoed from the upper floor did Jessie rush back into the living room.

Water dripped from her clothes as she shouted angrily, "Mom! She-she threw my necklace into the fountain! She's completely crazy! Call Cade and make him come back so he can deal with her..."

"Be quiet." Lorraine's sharp voice cut Jessie off, her expression dark and severe.

Her eyes remained fixed on the staircase, and suddenly a memory from three years earlier resurfaced.

At that time, Lorraine had passed the study and caught sight of Claire standing quietly at Cade's desk. Papers detailing an overseas acquisition were spread across the desk, along with several rare antiques.

Lorraine had assumed Claire was simply staring at them in fascination. She even found the situation amusing, thinking that an orphan wouldn't recognize the value of what she was looking at.

Now, however, a forgotten detail returned with striking clarity.

Claire hadn't been paying attention to the antiques at all!

Instead, her eyes had moved across a complicated column of financial numbers, and she had given the slightest shake of her head.

Lorraine felt a chill run down her spine. A creeping sense of unease tightened around her heart.

Perhaps... she had never truly understood the woman she had dismissed so easily.