Chapter 10
Clara stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly against the concrete floor. She braced herself, her hands gripping the edge of the table as if preparing for a physical blow. "Mr. Julian," she stammered, her voice cracking. "I swear I didn't touch anything. I was just cleaning the hallway—" Julian held up a hand, stepping closer. "Sit down, Clara," he said quietly. Clara sank back into the wooden chair, her chest heaving. Julian rested both hands on the edge of the table, leaning in slightly. "You don't need to explain yourself anymore. We found the necklace. It wasn't you." Clara blinked, tears welling up in her eyes again, though this time they were born of pure shock. "It wasn't...?" "It was my cousin," Julian said plainly, sparing no details to protect his family's pride. "He took it from the master suite. He tried to pin it on you to cover his own tracks." Mrs. Gable let out a sharp, indignant breath, shaking her head. "I knew it. I told you, Clara. Good people don't go pointing fingers without a reason." Julian reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a small white envelope, and laid it gently on the wooden table in front of the bewildered girl.
