Chapter 52 Chapter 52
_Leah's POV_
“There’s a problem,” Tariq said and stepped closer with a frown. “My mother has lost something important. It is a necklace with a key pendant. She never takes it off, yet it has gone missing.” His gaze sharpened on me as if searching my face for clues.
My heart pounded in my chest. The taste of fear was bitter on my tongue. The necklace. I had stolen it just the day before, using the key it held to access the chest in Tariq’s secret room. I had no intention of keeping it but had needed it desperately to learn the truth about Tariq. Now, while hearing him mention its disappearance, I forced myself to remain calm and to keep my face neutral.
I swallowed, carefully holding his gaze, and nodded. “Oh? That sounds terrible.” I kept my voice soft, doing my best to sound surprised. “We should help her look for it.”
“Thank you, Leah. She is… quite upset. I think it would mean a lot to her if you helped.”
With my best attempt at a supportive smile, I linked my arm through Tariq’s as we made our way down the hall toward Susan’s quarters. Every step felt like a countdown, and I couldn’t shake the sick feeling that they would somehow find me out. But I kept my breathing steady, refusing to let my nerves show.
As we entered Susan’s room, I was greeted by the sight of the older woman pacing anxiously. Her brows were knitted in frustration.
“Mother,” Tariq said gently, “Leah and I are here to help find your necklace.”
Susan looked up, her eyes widening with hope. “Oh, Leah, thank you, dear. I have been so beside myself. That necklace… I don’t know where it could have gone.” She brought a hand to her throat, where the necklace usually lay. Her fingers were trembling.
I forced myself to nod sympathetically. “Of course, Susan. I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.” My stomach twisted. I knew exactly where it really was.
Susan took a shaky breath and looked between us. “It’s a silver chain with a small key pendant. I never take it off, but…” Her voice wavered, and she shook her head. “I don’t even remember the last time I saw it.”
My heart skipped. My mind was racing as I struggled to keep my expression composed. "The key. If they know, I’ll be finished." I managed to nod with a gentle smile. “Well, let us check around here first,” I suggested softly, hoping to lead the search as far from the truth as possible.
Tariq nodded. “That is a good idea. We’ll look everywhere it could be.”
We began searching, lifting cushions, checking under furniture, and sifting through drawers. My hands moved mechanically. My mind was distracted by a growing sense of dread. My heart raced each time I caught a glimpse of Tariq’s calculating expression, as if he was watching my every move.
After a few minutes, Susan sighed and slumped onto her bed. “This isn’t like me. Yesterday, Leah and I went shopping… do you think I could have lost it there?”
My pulse quickened. I had stolen the necklace while helping Susan adjust a high-neck dress in one of the fitting rooms. I bit my lip, pretending to ponder.
“Maybe,” I said slowly, forcing a thoughtful frown. “I mean, it’s possible it could have come off when you tried on that dress…”
Susan nodded. “Yes, that’s what I was thinking too. That dress was a bit tight around the neck. Maybe when I took it off, the necklace got tangled and fell.”
Tariq’s expression darkened. “It’s worth a check. Let’s go back to that store and see if they have found anything.”
Panic rose in my chest, making it hard to breathe. My mind scrambled for an excuse, any reason to avoid going back to that store. If they reviewed the security footage, I would be caught. "Think, Leah. Think."
But before I could reply, Susan turned to me, her face hopeful. “Leah, do you remember the dress store, right? Could you come with me? You were such a help yesterday, and… I just don’t know how I would manage alone.”
My mind reeled. I was trapped. My gaze darted to Tariq, who was studying me with a curious look. “Leah?”
I took a slow breath, forcing myself to nod. “Of course, I’ll come.” The words tasted like ashes, and I clenched my fists to keep my hands from shaking. "Just stay calm," I told myself. "Maybe they won’t look at the footage."
We made our way to the store, Susan leading with hopeful determination. I walked beside her, doing my best to keep my expression neutral, even as my mind swirled with panic.
Inside, the store was quiet, with only a few customers browsing. A sales associate greeted us with a warm smile. “Hello! How can I help you today?”
Susan stepped forward, wringing her hands. “I believe I may have lost a necklace here yesterday. It has a small key pendant…”
The associate nodded and glanced at me briefly. “I can check our lost and found for you.”
Susan’s face brightened with hope. “Oh, thank you!”
I felt my throat tighten as we waited, my gaze fixed on the store’s exit. The thought of slipping away crossed my mind, but I knew it would only make me look guilty. I forced myself to stay put, my fingers digging into my palms as I tried to calm my racing heart.
A moment later, the associate returned, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We didn’t find anything like that in our lost and found. But we do have security cameras in the fitting rooms. If you’d like, we could review the footage from yesterday to see if it fell off in there.”
The color drained from my face. I bit my lip, glancing nervously at Susan and Tariq. “I mean… would it really show anything?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “It was such a busy day yesterday.”
Susan frowned thoughtfully, but Tariq’s gaze was sharper. “Actually, that might be a good idea. We don’t want to miss anything.”
I forced myself to nod, feeling the noose tightening around me. “Maybe… maybe it did fall somewhere else, though. We were in other stores too, remember?”
Susan seemed uncertain, but Tariq’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Let’s just check. It’ll only take a moment.”
The associate led us to a small back room, where a monitor displayed the store’s security footage. My heart hammered as they fast-forwarded through clips from the day before. My mind raced, searching for a way to distract them, to pull them away before they saw the truth.