Thea had already composed herself. "Estelle, I’ve always admired Star’s designer, so I bought a bracelet she designed. I didn’t expect you and Sophie to have one too. It’s just a coincidence. This one is my own purchase, not Sophie’s. As for the bracelet Sophie lost, I have no idea where it is."
Mrs. York’s eyes darted around. "That’s right! It’s just a bracelet. It’s not like our York Family can’t afford it. Even if it’s a limited edition, it’s not that expensive. What’s so strange about Thea buying one?"
Old Mrs. Sloan’s expression darkened.
’Thea is stubbornly refusing to admit it!’
"Miss York, have you ever purchased a limited-edition product from Star?" Estelle suddenly asked.
Thea gritted her teeth. Of course, she hadn’t.
Star and her own studio were competitors. ’What kind of idiot would buy from the enemy?’ The designer was indeed talented, but Thea’s heart was filled with jealousy.
Estelle smiled. "Miss York, why aren’t you saying anything?"
Mrs. York said impatiently, "I already told you, Thea bought this bracelet. Of course she’s purchased from them before..."
"Since Miss York has purchased from them before, she should know that all limited-edition jewelry from Star Company comes with a serial number."
Estelle looked at Sophie Foster. "Miss Foster is surely very clear on this point."
Sophie Foster sensed something was wrong. While she was still hesitating whether to speak, a socialite in the crowd spoke up.
"Yes, I’ve bought quite a bit of jewelry from Star. For all their limited editions, they match the buyer to the serial number. One number corresponds to one person. They never make a mistake."
Thea swayed, her face turning deathly pale.
"That’s right," Estelle nodded slowly.
"With this number, we can find out who owns this bracelet. Although Miss York claims she bought it, for the sake of her innocence, it’s safer to check, don’t you think?"
Thea had spoken so sanctimoniously just now. If she refused, wouldn’t it be obvious that something was wrong with her?
Thea squeezed out a few words. "...Estelle... I don’t really like this bracelet anyway. I can just give it to Sophie. It’s so much trouble to have someone verify it. And Star isn’t available twenty-four-seven..."
"It’s no trouble."
But then Estelle curled her lips into a smile and casually logged into Star’s corporate software.
Thea had a bad feeling.
"Perhaps Miss York doesn’t know, but I hold a position at Star. I can look up purchase records."
Estelle asked slowly and deliberately, "Would you be so kind as to give me the bracelet, Miss York?"
The bracelet had a serial number, and the serial number could be used to look up the buyer’s name.
Thea subconsciously tried to hide it behind her back.
Her action made everyone in the room look at each other. Could she have been any more obvious?
"It seems Miss York is unwilling. That’s fine, too."
Estelle ignored the ashen faces of Thea and Mrs. York. "I can still find the serial number by inputting the buyer’s name."
Estelle typed a few words on her phone, then raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "...Miss York, why isn’t your name on the list of buyers?"
...
...
The buyer wasn’t Thea York?! Thea York had never bought this bracelet?!
Sophie Foster was shocked. "Thea..."
Thea was trembling all over, her teeth chattering. "Estelle..."
"You—you think you can just tap on your phone a couple of times and slander our Thea? Is there no justice in this world?!" Mrs. York was furious and flustered. "Who knows if you’re really checking or just putting on a show! Our Thea said she bought the bracelet, so she bought the bracelet! Don’t push your luck..."
"You idiot!" someone in the crowd couldn’t take it anymore. "Mrs. York, do you even know who Estelle Lockwood is?"
Mrs. York was livid. ’Who could Estelle Lockwood possibly be!’
Thea, on the other hand, had a sudden realization, and a chill ran down her spine—
"Estelle Lockwood is Star’s chief designer! This bracelet is her own creation. Do you think she can’t look up the list of buyers?!"
"She’s the designer, and you’re accusing her of stealing a bracelet? She could have as many of these as she wants. Why would she need to steal Sophie Foster’s and get caught in the act?"
"Then you have *someone* who isn’t on the purchase list, but mysteriously has the bracelet, right when Sophie Foster happened to lose hers."
"But some people are just determined to deny they stole it, aren’t they?"
Sarcastic voices reached Thea’s ears from all directions. She trembled, and her vision started to go black.
’I can’t believe it. Estelle Lockwood... Estelle Lockwood is Star’s chief designer?!’
’That bracelet... She had just praised it so much to get everyone’s attention, and it turned out she was praising Estelle Lockwood the whole time?!’
Mrs. York was also stunned, her mouth opening and closing without a single word coming out.
"While I appreciate that Miss York likes the piece I designed,"
Estelle said with a half-smile, "it would be better to clear up this matter of theft first. After all, Miss Foster is my customer. Since her bracelet mysteriously ended up in Miss York’s possession, I have an obligation to get to the bottom of this for her."
"As if Thea York would ever confess," someone said sarcastically. "Don’t you get it yet? From the very beginning, when Thea York asked to see Sophie Foster’s bracelet, she was plotting against Miss Lockwood."
"She stole the bracelet herself but tried to frame Mrs. Sloan. Sophie Foster and Thea York are close, so of course she’d believe Thea. If Mrs. Sloan weren’t Star’s designer, Thea’s plan probably would have succeeded!"
Estelle chuckled softly.
Thea’s mind was buzzing.
She finally realized that she hadn’t been plotting against Estelle today; Estelle had been plotting against her.
From the moment she brought up the bracelet, Estelle had understood her scheme.
’But how did Estelle plant the bracelet on my sash...!’
Suddenly, Thea realized, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
’It was Nathaniel! It was Nathaniel! He was the only one standing next to me just now, so... so...’
A chill ran through Thea’s entire body.
Mrs. York, at this moment, was so frantic she looked ready to faint.
No matter how slow Sophie Foster was, she understood now, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to do.
"Thea York, give me an explanation!" Old Mrs. Sloan’s voice was sharp. "Theft, framing someone... at this banquet today, do you have any respect for me at all?!"
Thea’s hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she gritted her teeth.
’Why... Why...’
Looks of disgust, contempt, and scorn... all sorts of gazes fell upon the once-arrogant Young Miss York, bringing Thea to the verge of a breakdown.
For all these years, everything had gone smoothly for her. She had climbed her way up by stepping on Stella York and that so-called first wife, hobnobbing with the heirs of high society.
’Why did I have to lose to Estelle Lockwood in the end?!’
"I... thought... this was my bracelet..."
Thea forced the words out one by one, the taste of blood filling her mouth. "I thought I had bought it... I didn’t realize I’d remembered wrong..."
Nathaniel Sloan’s eyes were dark. "Apologize."