ANNA'S POV

I glanced at Ryan who stood beside me, his face mirroring the same confusion twisting my own features. His brows were slightly drawn together, his jaw tight as his eyes darted around the living room.

A necklace?

Did Dad really just say a necklace was missing? Was that really the reason behind all the tension, the crying maids, Mom’s broken expression, and Dad’s barely contained rage? The atmosphere in the room was thick enough to suffocate, and now that word echoed loudly in my head.

A necklace.

“Now, just to show everyone here how serious I am,” my dad said, his voice cutting sharply through the murmurs and...