Chapter 2 Accused Of Stealing

Isabella froze mid-motion upon hearing that, the jewelry box still clutched in her fingers as she slipped it into Brenna's backpack. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you just say? That gemstone necklace is a gift from Jordy. It costs one million and eight hundred thousand! It has ten top-tier gems, each hand-selected. I left it on the table. How could it just vanish? Are you sure you checked properly?"

Brenna observed the unfolding scene intently, her expression impassive. She could already see the setup, the neatly arranged trap.

The servant's name was Sadie Brown. Her face went ghostly white, her hands visibly trembling. "Miss Barrett, I searched everywhere-every corner, every drawer-but it's gone. Could someone have taken it?"

With that, Sadie's eyes landed on Brenna, suspicion darkening her expression. She didn't need to say it outright-her eyes did the accusing for her.

Isabella shot her a sharp look. "What are you staring at? Just because Brenna's real family is poor doesn't mean she'd resort to stealing. Anyway, is anything else missing from my room?"

Sadie hesitated, then swallowed hard. "Yes... The design plans you drew a few days ago. They're gone too."

A strange glint flickered in Sadie's eyes. Without warning, she strode toward Brenna and yanked at a thin chain peeking out from her backpack.

Isabella gasped, her shock perfectly timed as she took the necklace from Sadie's hand. "Brenna," she murmured, feigning hurt, "how did the engagement necklace Jordy gave me end up in your bag?"

She clutched the piece, looking disappointed. "If you needed money, why not just ask Dad? He has supported you all these years-he wouldn't mind giving you more money. But stealing? This would break Mom's and Dad's hearts."

At that moment, Alec and Ruby walked over. Alec scowled, disappointment carving deep lines into his face. He exhaled sharply, his tone laced with disapproval as he said, "I offered you money, and you turned it down-only to do this? If you needed help, you could have said something instead of resorting to this disgraceful behavior. This is really shameful! Why did you do this?"

Ruby's temper flared instantly. "She must have thought the money was too little! What else could it be? A thousand for travel expenses wasn't enough for her, so she helped herself to something more valuable. One million and eight hundred thousand-her real parents' entire family couldn't make that much in a lifetime!"

Isabella reached for Ruby's hand, a pained expression settling on her face. "Mom, please stop. If you keep saying such things, how will Brenna ever face anyone again? I don't think she did it on purpose-maybe she took it by mistake."

Alec and Ruby remained silent, though the disdain in their eyes was clear. Inwardly, they had already written Brenna off as a thief.

Isabella managed a gentle smile, but a flicker of triumph danced in her eyes as she glanced at the gathering guests around them. This was perfect. With Brenna marked as a thief, she would never find help from Shirie's upper circles. The Barrett family's influence would be forever out of her reach.

Isabella turned to Brenna. "Brenna, I'd give you anything, but not this necklace. It's Jordy's engagement gift to me. I know it must be hard-watching him choose me when you were supposed to be engaged to him. But feelings can't be forced, right? Jordy and I love each other deeply. Please, don't come between us. If you need money, I'll give you all my jewelry, okay? Just not this one."

As Isabella spoke, tears welled in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks like she had just suffered a great injustice.

Seeing this, Brenna let out a short, cold laugh. What a waste of talent. Isabella should have been an actress with her acting skills.

She believed since they had already staged this drama, it would be impolite not to play along.

Brenna flung a glance at the necklace, unimpressed. The chain was thick, the gemstones sizable, but the craftsmanship left much to be desired. The color, cut, and overall design... They were far from top-tier.

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing something this poorly made," Brenna remarked coolly. "There must be some mistake. When I packed my things in the attic, that necklace wasn't in my bag. But I do recall you holding it in your hand earlier, dear sister. Could it be that you accidentally dropped it into my backpack?"

She scoffed, refusing to shoulder the blame.

With deliberate calm, she set her backpack on the floor and tipped it over, spilling its contents onto the cold surface. "Go ahead. See if there's anything else from the Barrett family in my backpack. If there is, take it. I'd rather not carry the label of a thief."

Among the scattered items, a blue folder slid into view. Isabella's eyes widened in feigned shock. "Aren't these my design drafts for new energy auto parts? Brenna, how did they end up in your bag?"

She crouched, picking up the folder and flipping through its pages with practiced disbelief. Inside were intricate sketches of mechanical components. She looked at Brenna, shaking her head, disappointment etched across her features. "I never imagined you'd stoop this low. You didn't even finish grade school-what could you possibly want with my design drafts? Planning to sell them?"

Brenna rolled her eyes. She didn't need to check-she already knew what those papers were. The nuclear-powered cargo ship component blueprints she had spent an entire night perfecting. How had they become Isabella's?

Brenna blinked, suddenly realizing something. Yesterday, Isabella had spent the day seated at the grand dining table, sketching exaggerated designs in an attempt to flaunt her mechanical expertise. The entire household had seen it. That gave Isabella the chance to frame her now.

Isabella continued, pointing at the drafts, "You stole them. Just admit it. Since we're family, I'll let it slide."

Ruby stepped closer, snatching the folder and scanning its contents. The moment she saw the sketches, her face twisted with fury. "How could I have raised someone like you?" she said to Brenna. "You are such a disgrace!"

Brenna remained silent. Her blueprints had clear, unmistakable markings. The title, written in a foreign language, identified them as designs for nuclear-powered cargo ship components.

Didn't any of them notice that?

Right there in the lower right corner, her personal anti-counterfeit signature gleamed-proof that no one could claim her work as their own.

Brenna faced Alec and Ruby. "You both know what I'm capable of," she stated, her voice steady. "A decade ago, you were running a small auto parts factory, barely making about five hundred thousand a year, living in a modest duplex. At that time, you saw my potential. That's why you kept me from school and forced me to stay home and design advanced components for you."