Chapter 4 - The Emerald Noose
The screen faded to black, but the silence in the ballroom was deafening. The board members lowered their champagne glasses in absolute disgust.
Graham’s face drained of all color, leaving him looking like a sick, terrified ghost. "Eleanor... this is a trick," he stammered, stepping away from Sloane as if she were suddenly on fire. He looked desperately at the executives from Vance Investment Group. "Gentlemen, it's a deepfake! It's edited!"
"Is it, Graham?" I asked, my voice slicing through the heavy air. I pointed directly at Sloane’s throat. "Because the necklace Sloane is currently wearing beneath the high collar of that white gown is a federally registered historical artifact belonging to the Hawthorne Family Trust. An artifact she has not taken off since she stole it."
At that moment, the heavy double doors of the ballroom swung open. Four federal investigators, badges clipped to their belts, stepped into the room.
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Sloane let out a blood-curdling shriek. Realizing the trap she was in, she clawed frantically at the collar of her dress, desperately trying to unlatch the emerald necklace to throw it away. But her trembling fingers couldn't manipulate the antique lock.
"Grand larceny, conspiracy to commit fraud, and interstate trafficking of stolen heritage assets," my attorney, standing near the investigators, announced clearly. "My client is pressing full federal charges."
