Chapter Forty Seven: The Revelation Ms. Sinclair Pete worked swiftly, her experienced fingers delicately examining the Amulet of Ashoka. Turning it over, she noted the intricate inscription of the great Ashoka himself. The amulet had two compartments: the first layer contained what appeared to be kangaroo teeth, while the second was surrounded by the famed "water of life." Everything was in place and intact, and the gold material used to hold the piece was genuine. "It's authentic," she finally declared. yet she insisted on only paying twenty thousand dollars. “But I’m afraid I can’t buy it at that amount you are asking for, it’s a bit too much.” She said. John, the young man selling the amulet, shook his head vehemently. “I won’t sell it for less than fifty thousand dollars. My mother's life depends on it." His younger companion, desperation etched on his face, dropped to his knees. “Please, beautiful Ms., buy it at the price we need. You’d be saving a lif
Chapter Forty-Eight: A Breakthrough in the Case Officer Connor turned to have a look at the culprit who had their real faces now, his eyes lighting up as he saw the two men being retained by angry traders. He had been searching for them for the past half a month. Approaching the gathered crowd, he began to recount the story. “Ladies and gentlemen, these two men are notorious scammers and thieves. We've been on their trail for weeks now. They have been changing identities so frequently that it has been nearly impossible to catch them. But thanks to the vigilance of this you all here,” he said, gesturing towards everybody. “Wow we didn’t know they were notorious thieves as you said.” “It’s actually thanks to Chris, or he would have scammed Ms. Pete as well” Ms. Pete blushed at the thought of her carelessness. It would have been a low blow for her if word should go out that the great jeweler was scammed at her job. Indeed Chris had saved her this time. The crowd murmu
Chapter Forty Eight: A golden OpportunityMs. Sinclair Pete stood quietly, still reeling from the near disaster. She turned to Chris, her eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of disappointment in herself. “Chris, I can't believe I almost fell for that scam. All my years in the jewelry business, and I couldn't see through them.”But you did. You’ve been saying I should take caution from the time they came, how did you do that?” Chris smiled modestly. "I'm a good observer, Mrs. Pete." She shook her head. "No, it’s more than that. If it were just about observation, I would have noticed something too. Tell me, how did you know they were fakes?"Chris hesitated, knowing fully he knew about jewelry from his mother and basically the Brown’s female population, but he couldn’t tell her that without raising more questions. He sighed. "I’ve been hustling for a long time. I once worked under an old master who taught me how to observe important pieces of jewelry. He had a knack for spotting
Chapter Fifty: The Premiere of LorettaThe morning sun bathed Loretta's apartment in a soft, golden glow as she prepared for one of the most significant days of her life. Today was the premiere of her new musical, Dreams of Stardom’, and she was both exhilarated and nervous. This was the first time she would be presented to the public as the star of the show, and everything had to be perfect.Loretta's day began early, everything had to be done according to plans. Her team of stylists, makeup artists, and assistants bustled around her, transforming her into the glamorous figure the public expected. Her makeup artist, Marla, worked meticulously, ensuring every detail was flawless. Loretta's eyes sparkled with a smoky, sultry look, and her lips were painted a deep, bold red. Her hair, styled in loose waves, framed her face perfectly. “Are you excited?” Stephany asked as Marla brushed a final touch of highlighter on Loretta's cheekbones. “Excited and terrified,” Loretta admitted,
Chapter Fifty One: Getting to the bottom of the event. Chris sat in his plush office, the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him. The expansive desk before him was cluttered with papers and documents that demanded his attention, but his mind was elsewhere. Today was the premiere of ‘Dreams of Stardom’ and he had been looking forward to watching his wife make Loretta shine. Though he had initially planned to attend in person, the thought of running into Stephany and the rest of the Preston family deterred him. The Preston Empire had been awarded the contract to manage Loretta’s affairs and even his wife was particularly in charge of the outfit. She had tirelessly worked day and night to ensure that Loretta’s dress was perfect. If he should show up there, they’ll definitely meet and so will his staff who would refer to him as president. That would not be the best way for Stephany to find out he was the president of MTD Entertainment. Instead, Chris h
Chapter Fifty Three: The ConfessionThe atmosphere in the conference room was tense. Chris stood at the head of the table, his expression grave as he addressed the assembled members of the Preston management team."We need to find out who was responsible for the sabotage," Chris declared, his voice steady but filled with underlying anger. “I won't rest until we uncover the truth. I want to see the CCTV footage of everyone who entered Loretta's dressing room."The room fell silent. The weight of Chris's words hung heavily in the air. Just as the IT technician was about to start accessing the CCTV footage, a young woman in the back of the room hesitantly raised her hand. She was an intern at MTD, barely noticeable amidst the senior staff, but now all eyes turned to her.Chris's gaze fixed on her. "Was it you?” He simply asked. She didn’t say anything for two minutes. “We have no time, if you’re confessing, go ahead.”The young intern swallowed hard, her nerves evident as she stood u
Chapter Fifty Three: The Family Meeting The Preston mansion was shrouded in a tense silence, the kind that often preceded a storm. The family had been summoned by Grandma Preston, a formidable matriarch whose word was law within the Preston household.Everyone knew why they were gathered, it had to be the incident at Loretta’s premiere had caused a scandal, and heads were about to roll.The family assembled in the grand dining room, its opulence starkly contrasting the somber mood. Henry sat smugly at one end of the table, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. Stephany sat across from him, her face pale and drawn. She had barely slept, tormented by the events of the previous night and the impending judgment.Grandma Preston entered, her presence commanding immediate respect. She took her seat at the head of the table, her piercing eyes scanning the room before settling on Stephany. “Everyone, you know why we’re here,” she began, her voice cold and authoritative. “What happened
Chapter Fifty Four; Unveiling the Saboteur.Loretta made her way up the grand driveway to the Prestons' mansion, her heart pounding.The sprawling estate, with its meticulously manicured gardens and imposing façade, was a stark contrast to the turmoil she felt inside.As she approached the entrance, two maids standing by the door noticed her immediately, their eyes widening in surprise."Ms. Loretta! Please, come in," one of the maids said, stepping aside to allow her entry.The other maid quickly ran off to inform Grandma Preston of Loretta's arrival.Loretta walked through the ornate hallways, her footsteps echoing on the marble floors.She was determined to set things right, to clear her name, and to expose the truth. The atmosphere in the house was tense, filled with the anticipation of the family meeting that was taking place. She could hear muffled voices from the dining room, where everyone was gathered."Grandma, Ms. Loretta is here," the maid announced as she opened the do