Chapter 3: The Arrival of the Judge
The heavy, imposing oak doors of the mansion’s front entrance swung open. Richard Vanguard stepped into the foyer, his dark blue suit impeccably tailored, his dark hair perfectly styled. The arrival of the master of the house instantly shifted the atmospheric pressure of the room. He walked in, flanked silently by two towering Security Guards in crisp black uniforms, their presence stoic and imposing.
Richard stopped in his tracks, taking in the chaotic scene. The weeping maid on her knees, his mother clutching her chest in the background, his fiancée standing triumphantly, and the Vanguard diamonds lying carelessly on the floor like discarded trash.
"What in the hell is going on here?" Richard’s voice was a low, authoritative rumble that demanded immediate compliance.
Victoria instantly spun around, her cruel sneer vanishing, replaced rapidly by the mask of a deeply violated, distressed victim. She rushed toward Richard, placing a delicate hand on his chest.
"Richard, thank God you're home," Victoria gasped, her voice trembling with manufactured emotion. She pointed a trembling finger at Maria. "I caught her! I noticed the necklace missing, and I confronted her as she was trying to sneak out. I emptied her bag, and there it was! She stole from us, Richard!"
Maria turned her desperate, tear-streaked face toward Richard. "Mr. Vanguard, please! You know me! I would never! I don't know how it got in there! Please, you have to believe me!"
Richard looked at Maria. He had known this woman for ten years. She had helped nurse his mother through a severe illness. She was practically family. Then, he looked at Victoria, a woman he had known for barely a year. He noticed the slight, arrogant twitch at the corner of Victoria's mouth—the micro-expression of a predator confident in her kill.
Richard’s jaw clenched tight. The air in the room grew dangerously cold. He stepped past Victoria, ignoring her touch entirely. He walked to the center of the foyer and violently slammed his open palm down on the heavy marble entry table.
BANG.
The sound cracked like a gunshot. Maria flinched. Constance gasped. Victoria jumped back, her eyes widening in sudden, terrifying apprehension. The fabricated distress on her face cracked.
"Enough!" Richard roared, his expression fierce and unyielding. The room fell into absolute, terrifying silence, broken only by Maria's quiet sobbing.
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Richard turned his dark, penetrating gaze slowly back to Victoria. He didn't look at her like a lover; he looked at her like a suspect.
"Check the cameras," Richard commanded, his voice devoid of any warmth.
