Chapter 3: The Missing Necklace
The emergency meeting lasted four hours.
By noon, Adrian had been suspended.
He left the building through a private exit to avoid reporters gathering outside.
His driver informed him the company vehicle had been recalled.
His corporate cards no longer worked.
His assistant had resigned.
For the first time in his adult life, Adrian stood on a sidewalk and had nowhere important to go.
Celeste appeared beside him.
“This is temporary,” she insisted.
Adrian turned on her.
“What is Arden Consulting?”
She blinked.
“My advisory firm.”
“You told me those transfers were event expenses.”
“They were.”
“Helena has invoices.”
“Then she fabricated them.”
Adrian wanted to believe her.
But Helena had never been careless.
Across town, Helena met with Detective Lena Ortiz.
The missing diamond necklace from Adrian’s mother’s birthday dinner had not been forgotten.
Helena placed a tablet on the desk.
“The house cameras were disabled before the accusation,” she explained.
“Who disabled them?” Ortiz asked.
“Adrian’s mother ordered the security manager to shut them down for privacy.”
“That’s convenient.”
“One camera remained active.”
Helena tapped the screen.
A recording from a hidden service corridor appeared.
Celeste entered the dressing room alone.
Three minutes later, she left holding the green velvet jewelry box.
The video continued.
In the pantry, Celeste removed the necklace and placed it inside a champagne bucket filled with folded linens.
Later, Adrian’s mother entered the room, collected the bucket, and carried it upstairs.
Ortiz leaned back.
“Your mother-in-law was involved.”
“She planned the accusation.”
“Why?”
Helena looked toward the window.
“To force me out of the marriage without exposing Adrian’s affair. They wanted me publicly disgraced before they announced Celeste as his new partner.”
Ortiz studied her.
“You knew about the affair?”
“For eight months.”
“And you stayed?”
“I needed proof of something bigger.”
Helena handed her another file.
Inside were records of secret property sales, fake consulting agreements, and diverted investment funds.
The necklace had been bait.
But the financial evidence revealed a far more dangerous scheme.
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Adrian had not merely betrayed his wife.
He had been stealing from the empire she secretly owned.
