Chapter 3: The Frame-Up at the Gala
"Well, well," Richard purred, stepping over the shattered porcelain. His eyes flicked to the phone in Lily’s trembling hand. "Snooping around in the dark, little mouse?"
"I didn't hear anything," Lily lied, her heart hammering against her ribs. She discreetly pressed the lock button on her phone, praying the video had saved.
Richard smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "You’ve caused quite enough trouble for this family, Lily. It would be a shame if you were to suffer a terrible accident. Go back to your room. And keep your mouth shut."
Lily fled up the stairs, her breath ragged. She had the recording, but she knew taking it to Arthur right now, in the middle of the night with Richard still in the house, was too dangerous. She needed the perfect moment.
That moment arrived two days later at the annual Sterling Foundation Charity Gala.
The mansion was transformed. Hundreds of the city's elite, journalists, and all the board members were in attendance. Arthur was putting on a brave face, but the whispers followed him everywhere. The scandal had tainted his reputation, and tonight was supposed to be Richard's final move to push him out.
Lily was dressed in a simple but elegant black evening gown Arthur had purchased for her, insisting she attend as his guest, not his staff. She felt entirely out of place among the glittering diamonds and silk tuxedos.
Suddenly, a piercing scream silenced the ballroom.
A wealthy socialite, the wife of the board chairman, was pointing frantically at her own neck. "My necklace! The diamond sunburst! It's gone!"
Chaos erupted. Security guards locked the ballroom doors. Richard Vance immediately stepped up to the microphone, playing the hero. "Everyone, remain calm. No one leaves until the necklace is found. Security, begin searching."
Lily stood near the grand staircase, watching the commotion, when she felt a hard shove from behind. She stumbled forward, and a heavy, glittering object spilled out of her small clutch purse, clattering loudly onto the polished floor.
It was the diamond sunburst necklace.
The entire room went dead silent. Hundreds of eyes turned to Lily.
From the crowd, Beatrice Gable stepped forward, wearing a smug, victorious smile. She had sneaked into the party as Richard’s plus-one.
"I told you all," Gable announced loudly to the press. "The girl is a thief! This is the 'innocent' victim Arthur Sterling has been protecting. A common criminal!"
Arthur pushed through the crowd, looking between the necklace on the floor and Lily’s horrified face. "Lily?" he asked, his voice cracking.
"I didn't take it!" Lily screamed, tears welling up. "Someone pushed me! Someone put it in my bag!"
"Save it for the police," Richard sneered, motioning to the security guards. "Arrest her. And as for you, Arthur, your judgment is clearly compromised. The board will vote you out tonight."
May you like
The guards grabbed Lily’s arms. Flashbulbs from the press blinded her. It was over. They had won. Gable and Richard had successfully framed her to destroy Arthur completely.
But as the cold metal of handcuffs brushed her wrists, Lily remembered the weight of her cheap smartphone hidden in the hidden pocket of her dress.
