Two days had passed since the necklace incident, and Autumn had hoped they’d finally moved past the ordeal. Life seemed to settle back into its usual rhythm, and for a moment, the tension that had lingered in the house began to ease. Autumn was chatting with the nanny in the kitchen as they prepared breakfast when Derek burst in, his face tight with worry.

"Autumn, have you seen a black box around?" he asked, his voice hurried and strained.

Autumn froze mid-action, the frying pan slipping from her grasp with a loud clang. “A black box? No, I haven’t. When did you last see it?”

Derek rubbed his temples, his...