Chapter 8

"Grandma, does this emerald bead necklace look familiar?" Yasmin held up her phone, showing the listing from Dunville Auction House to Patricia. Patricia had been Annie Hartson's mother-in-law for years, and she had coveted her dowry and jewelry for just as long. She had seen that necklace too many times not to recognize it. "Could there have been a thief in the family?" Wanda preemptively deflected, her voice sharp as she threw suspicion away from herself. The maids collectively paled, breaking into frantic denials as each one swore their innocence. Yasmin feigned confusion. "But only two people have keys to the treasury. Grandma, you have one, and Wanda, you have the other. A maid couldn't have taken it." The implication was clear—if it wasn't Wanda, was it Patricia herself? The room fell into tense silence. Patricia's sharp gaze immediately turned to Wanda, her eyes laced with accusation. Wanda's face stiffened, panic flashing through her expression. Just as she opened her mouth to deny it, Patricia snapped, "Go to the study and bring Logan here!" Logan Whitmore had been working overtime and did not expect to be disturbed. Before he could even celebrate Jeremy's return, he was plunged into the chaos of household theft. His anger flared immediately. Without warning, a slap landed on Yasmin's cheek. Logan's voice thundered, "Yasmin, are you not done causing trouble? Why must you throw our family into chaos the moment you come home?" With her face still stinging from the slap, Yasmin asked mockingly, "What, are you planning to throw me into an asylum again?" Logan ignored the remark and doubled down. "Do you even understand the importance of harmony within the family?" Yasmin let out a self-deprecating laugh. To Logan, she was always the least important. If she didn't compromise for the sake of their family's harmony, she was in the wrong. Fortunately, she had long stopped expecting fairness from him. "Yasmin, all heirloom-grade emeralds look more or less the same. Maybe you've made a mistake." Veronica suddenly stepped forward, playing the peacemaker. She gently held Yasmin's hand as if trying to soothe her. "Annie left behind so many things. It might just be misplaced. I'll help you look tomorrow, alright? I'm sure we can find it. No need to jump to conclusions." The feigned kindness made Yasmin sick. She brushed Veronica's hand away and turned to Patricia instead. "Grandma, the platinum clasp on that emerald necklace has a runic engraving. I carved it myself as a child. I doubt there's another one exactly like it." Patricia hadn't cared about safeguarding Annie's belongings for Yasmin. She had planned to pass the best pieces down to Jeremy. Wanda's and Veronica's scheming had interfered with her plans, which was the main reason behind her fury. Hence, at this point in time, the angry Patricia was a lot more useful to Yasmin's plan than Logan ever would be. Patricia, ever the cunning old fox, instantly understood Yasmin's implication. She quickly had the maid take inventory of the treasury. Thinking about what they had done, Wanda's and Veronica's expressions soured. Two hours later, the inventory was done. Apart from the emerald bead necklace, nothing else seemed missing. However, Yasmin quickly noticed that a number of items had been swapped with forgeries, including a rare truffle that was a priceless delicacy! Another crisp slap echoed throughout the room. However, this time, it landed on Wanda's face. It was Patricia who had struck her. Patricia hissed, reprimanding Wanda, "Wanda! How dare you steal from your own family? You were trusted to manage this household, and this is what you do? You bitch! Where are the real ones? Where's the money?" Wanda had never been hit in her life, let alone in front of her children. Tears streamed down her face as she turned pitifully toward Logan. "Darling…" Logan's heart twisted at the sight of his childhood sweetheart crying. Just as he was about to comfort her, Yasmin spoke up, her voice laced with grievance, "Dad, am I really the one causing trouble? I just don't want our family's valuables to disappear for no reason." Patricia scoffed. "Logan, look at the wonderful wife you married!" Realizing he couldn't defend Wanda without making himself look worse, his expression darkened. Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting the scene. A maid rushed in. "Sir, Mr. Grant is here!" Caleb? Yasmin turned toward the entrance, stunned. Why was he here? Dressed in a crisp white shirt and formal trousers, he looked effortlessly refined as he exuded dominance with every step. He probably just came over from a business meeting. "Caleb, what brings you here?" Logan was the first to react, quickly shifting into the role of a doting father-in-law. Caleb didn't answer immediately. His gaze swept across the room, pausing the moment it landed on Yasmin. Noticing the red handprint on her cheek, he furrowed his brows. Yasmin, however, tilted her head slightly, deliberately angling her face away as she didn't want to let him see her swollen left cheek. "C-Caleb, w-why are you here?" Veronica's voice was soft and breathy. It was as if she had just been crying and was trying to act strong. "Seems lively in here," he remarked in an ambiguous tone. Logan let out an awkward laugh. "It's just a minor family disagreement. My apologies for the scene." Veronica shot a quick glance at Yasmin, then bit her lip. She was hesitating, acting as if she didn't want to make things worse. Of course, a few moments later, she said anyway, "It's about Annie's belongings. Yasmin came to question us. I admit it was wrong of me to take the truffle, but I gave it to Ms. Newman when she had complications during childbirth two years ago because I heard she loved it and it contained many health benefits! "Yasmin was studying abroad at the time. I didn't want to disturb her studies, and there was also the time difference, so I made the decision on my own…" Wanda, teary-eyed, looked to Patricia and added, "Mom, as for the other jewelry Yasmin says is fake, I used them as gifts for social obligations. You know how expensive those things are, and I didn't want to ask Logan for more money. Everything I did was for this family! I had no selfish intentions!" Whether they had actually given the items away or sold them was a mystery. Patricia inhaled sharply, ready to lash out again. However, Caleb suddenly spoke up in a light, casual tone, "Oh? Doesn't sound like a big deal, then." Yasmin shot Caleb an incredulous look, her gaze and heart slowly turning cold. "Exactly! It's no big deal!" Logan quickly chimed in with a smile. "Everything was done for the family, so there's no need to make a fuss. Let's put this behind us!" He shot a glance at Patricia, signaling her to drop the matter. If Caleb was displeased and it impacted their business, that would be a terrible loss for them! Yasmin glanced at Veronica, coincidentally meeting her gaze. Gone was her pitiful look; it had been replaced by a smug, triumphant expression. It was as if she was saying, "Look at you. You stirred up all this commotion, and what did you achieve in the end?" Yasmin's cold chuckle echoed throughout the room, breaking the silence. So, this was why Caleb had come. Veronica had called him in as her reinforcement. "What's so funny?" Caleb turned to her. She met his gaze. Despite the faint smile on her lips, the expression behind it was devoid of warmth, and the handprint on her cheek stood out all the more. "I find it funny that you arrived just in time. You showed up, and suddenly, my mother's belongings became insignificant." She wasn't just laughing at him but at herself too. Her meticulous scheme was no match for Veronica's deceit.