Chapter 6

Audrey looked down at Jasmin's manicured fingers tightly gripping her wrist. Her cold, calculated smile remained perfectly in place, not reaching her eyes.

Jasmin, entirely oblivious to the danger radiating from Audrey, ran her thumb over the massive, flawless diamonds.

"You have so many of these, Audrey," Jasmin whined playfully, pouting her lips. "And I have absolutely nothing to wear to the gala. You wouldn't mind lending it to your best friend, would you?"

Audrey smoothly twisted her wrist. She broke Jasmin's grip with a firm, deliberate motion that caught the other woman completely off guard.

She reached over with her right hand and unclasps the diamond bracelet. She let the heavy, platinum chain slide off her skin and pool into her palm. The diamonds caught the morning light, throwing fractured rainbows across the marble walls.

Jasmin's eyes lit up with avarice. She held her hands out eagerly, cupped together, fully expecting Audrey to drop the multi-million dollar piece of jewelry right into her waiting palms.

Instead, Audrey casually dropped the bracelet into the deep pocket of her cashmere skirt. The heavy jewels clinked softly against the fabric, hidden from view.

Jasmin's hands froze in mid-air. Her eager smile faltered, twisting into a look of genuine confusion.

"Audrey? What are you doing?" Jasmin asked, her voice tight with disappointment.

Audrey let out a heavy, incredibly dramatic sigh. Her expression shifted instantly from a cold smile to a look of deep, fabricated distress. She furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip.

She lowered her voice, looking around the grand foyer as if terrified of being overheard by the staff. She leaned in close to Jasmin.

"I would love to give it to you, Jas," Audrey whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "But I can't. I am facing a severe, unprecedented liquidity crisis."

Jasmin blinked rapidly. The financial jargon confused her for a moment. She tilted her head.

"A liquidity crisis?" Jasmin stammered. "What does that mean? How can you, the heiress to the Hayes fortune, be broke?"

Audrey fabricated a flawless, terrifying lie.

"Barrett discovered my escape plan last night," Audrey whispered, her eyes wide with fake panic. "He went insane. He has completely frozen all my trust funds. My black cards are declined. I don't have access to a single cent of cash."

Jasmin's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her mind rapidly processed the information. The horrifying realization dawned on her: her personal, unlimited ATM might be permanently out of service.

Audrey pressed her advantage immediately. She reached out and grabbed Jasmin's hands, mimicking Jasmin's earlier fake concern. Audrey's grip was surprisingly strong, her nails digging slightly into Jasmin's skin.

She looked Jasmin dead in the eye, feigning absolute desperation.

"I need cash immediately, Jasmin," Audrey pleaded. "I have secret debts. Things Barrett can't know about. If I don't pay them, I'm ruined."

Jasmin tried to pull her hands away. She suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable. She avoided Audrey's gaze.

"Oh, Audrey, I'm so sorry," Jasmin muttered, a weak, fake apology. "But you know I don't have any money to lend you. My allowance is so small..."

Audrey's grip tightened on Jasmin's hands, refusing to let go. Her voice rose slightly in pitch, playing the part of a panicked, cornered socialite perfectly.

"I don't need a loan, Jasmin," Audrey said, her voice breathless. "I just need you to return all the designer bags, the watches, and the jewelry I gifted you over the past three years. I can consign them for cash."

Jasmin's face drained of all color. She went sheet-white. Her jaw dropped open in absolute horror as the devastating implication of Audrey's words hit her.

Audrey didn't give her a second to recover. She began rapidly listing items, her memory flawless.

"The Himalayan crocodile Birkin," Audrey listed, her voice sharp. "The limited-edition Cartier panther watch. The vintage Chanel couture collection from Paris. The Van Cleef Alhambra sets."

With every single item Audrey listed, Jasmin took a stumbling step backward. She shook her head frantically.

"No, no, Audrey, wait," Jasmin stammered, her voice shaking. "Those... those were gifts! You gave them to me!"

Audrey stepped forward, maintaining the physical and psychological pressure. Her voice dripped with fake sorrow.

"Would you really let me go bankrupt, Jasmin?" Audrey asked, her eyes wide. "Would my best friend really watch me get destroyed over a few handbags?"

Jasmin panicked. Her eyes darted wildly toward the front door, looking for an escape route. She made up a desperate, pathetic lie.

"I... I can't give them back!" Jasmin cried. "I lost most of those items! Or I gave them away to charity! I don't have them anymore!"

Audrey's expression instantly hardened. The fake sorrow vanished completely, wiped away in a millisecond. It was replaced by a chilling, authoritative glare that made Jasmin physically flinch.

Audrey dropped Jasmin's hands. Her voice snapped like a leather whip echoing in the foyer.

"Don't lie to me," Audrey snarled. "I have the serial numbers and the authentication certificates for every single piece locked in my safe."

Jasmin flinched violently at the sharp tone. Her defensive walls crumbled completely under Audrey's sudden, aggressive shift in demeanor.

Audrey stepped right into Jasmin's personal space. She loomed over her, her voice dropping to a dangerous, icy whisper.

"If those items are not returned to this estate today," Audrey threatened, enunciating every word, "I will report every single piece as stolen to the NYPD. I will tell them my maid stole them. Let's see how your social life survives a grand larceny investigation."

Jasmin gasped loudly. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. She was terrified. A police investigation would ruin her carefully crafted, fake-rich social image forever.

Audrey turned sharply on her heel. Her cashmere skirt swirled elegantly around her legs. She looked toward the hallway and called out in a clear, commanding voice.

"Arthur!"

Arthur, who had been discreetly observing the entire exchange from the shadows of the hallway, stepped forward instantly. He bowed his head, awaiting her orders, while Jasmin trembled uncontrollably in the center of the foyer.