Chapter 1
Elena stood at the edge of the marble foyer, the sharp points of her diamond drop earrings catching the crystal chandelier light. Her dark hair was pulled into a sleek bun that accentuated the cold, hard planes of her face. The dark burgundy sequin evening gown she wore rustled softly as she pointed a manicured finger directly at the terrified girl standing by the service corridor. Elena’s voice cut through the hum of the estate’s climate control, sharp and unforgiving. "You dirty thief! You stole it!" she shouted, her chest heaving beneath the heavy sequins. Across the polished floor, Julian stood motionless in his dark green double-breasted suit, his black shirt and patterned tie projecting a calculated air of authority. He didn't flinch at the shouting. Instead, his gaze dropped slowly to the brown leather Birkin handbag resting on the mahogany console table. "Open the bag," Julian said, his voice level, quiet, and entirely devoid of panic. Beside the table, Clara, a young maid in a black and white dress with a pristine white lace apron, trembled so violently that her blonde hair shook loose from its cap. Her face was twisted in deep distress, tears streaming silently down her cheeks as she shook her head in desperate denial. Elena crossed her arms, her face flushing with righteous fury. "She's fired! Her immediately!" she demanded, refusing to look at the girl again. Julian held up a single hand, his fingers spreading to pause the escalating chaos. His dark eyes flicked away from the sobbing maid and toward the heavy security monitors mounted on the far oak-paneled wall. "Wait," Julian said, turning his head toward the silent screens. "Rewind the security footage."
