Chapter 6 - The Hidden Safe
Vivienne fell to her knees, her dark green dress pooling around her on the stone floor as she looked up at Marcus in absolute terror. "Director Reed... please! Have mercy! Preston is young, he made a mistake! We can make this right! We will apologize publicly to Claire!"
"A mistake?" Claire spoke up for the first time, her voice steady and clear despite the red marks around her eyes. She stepped out from behind her father, looking down at her former fiancé with calm disgust. "Preston didn't just pour wine on my dress, Dad. Before you arrived, he locked me in the east storage pantry for two hours while his mother went through my personal bag."
Marcus’s posture rigidified. The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees as a terrifying silence gripped the crowd.
"They took my mother’s ring," Claire said, pointing to Vivienne’s right hand.
On Vivienne’s finger sat an antique platinum band set with a rare star sapphire—the only piece of jewelry Claire possessed, passed down from her deceased mother. Vivienne had stripped it from Claire's bag while her son kept Claire locked away in the dark pantry.
Marcus looked at Vivienne’s hand, his expression turning into something far beyond mere anger. It was the calculated resolve of a father whose sacred memory had been violated.
"Chief," Marcus called out, not even looking back at the officer.
The Police Chief sprinted forward instantly, standing at crisp attention. "Sir!"
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"Remove my wife's ring from that woman's finger," Marcus ordered softly. "If she resists, add federal grand larceny to her charge sheet."
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