Chapter 74 Necklace
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 sobs in the room. He paused, then gave a small nod to one of the guards standing close to the wall.
The guard didn’t hesitate. He nodded back immediately, understanding the silent command, and moved swiftly out of the living room. The sound of his boots against the floor faded quickly, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Within seconds, the guard returned.
This time, he wasn’t empty-handed.
A sharp gasp escaped one of the maids as the guard walked in holding a shotgun. The sight alone was enough to send a ripple of fear through the room. My eyes widened as recognition hit me.
The shotgun.
The licensed shotgun Dad brought back from Russia. I remembered the day he hung it carefully on the wall, telling us it was nothing more than a keepsake, a reminder of a chapter of his life he’d closed. I had always thought it was just decoration, something symbolic.
I never imagined I’d see it taken down for something like this.
Dad took the gun from the guard without a word, his movements calm but terrifyingly deliberate. He checked it briefly before another guard stepped forward, handing him a box of bullets. The sound of metal against metal echoed as Dad loaded the gun, each click sending shivers down my spine.
The maids began to tremble even harder. Some broke down completely, crying openly now, while others clasped their hands together, whispering prayers under their breath. Panic crept into their voices, filling the room with desperation.
“Anyone who has that necklace in their room is dead” my dad said coldly, his gaze sweeping across the line of maids like a judge delivering a death sentence.
His words hung heavily in the air.
“Search all the maids’ rooms,” my dad added, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Immediately, three guards moved out, heading toward the staff quarters. The sound of hurried footsteps faded, leaving behind a living room full of fear, tension, and uncertainty.
I swallowed hard, my chest tight.
My eyes drifted to Dan, who still sat beside Mom. He hadn’t said a word since we arrived, his attention focused solely on her. One arm was wrapped around her shoulders as he gently rubbed her arm, trying to soothe her. Mom looked completely broken, her eyes staring into nothing, her face drained of all emotion.
I couldn’t just stand there anymore.
Catching Dan’s attention, I subtly tilted my head toward the door, silently asking him to meet me outside. He noticed immediately and gave a small nod. I turned and walked out without another word.
Ryan followed closely behind me, his steps quick. The moment we stepped outside, the cool air hit my face, but it did nothing to calm my nerves. I paced back and forth, my heels clicking against the pavement.
Not long after, Dan joined us.
“What’s all this madness?” I asked immediately, unable to keep the panic out of my voice. “I’ve never seen Dad this way before. What’s going on?”
Dan let out a slow breath, rubbing a hand over his face before answering. “The necklace. It’s missing, and that’s the worst item to get stolen in this family.”
I stopped pacing and turned to him. “What necklace? And what do you mean it’s the worst item to get stolen? Why is a necklace that important?”
“The necklace,” Dan began, “it’s a family heirloom. It’s been passed down from generation to generation, just like Dad said earlier. It’s priceless, Anna. Not just because of its value, but because of what it represents. And now it’s gone.”
Ryan frowned. “But your mom always wore it and kept it safe. How could it possibly go missing?”
“That’s exactly the problem,” Dan said. “Mom and Dad left for work today and locked it in the safe like always. They left just Isabel and me in the house. I slept in late, and Isabel…” He paused briefly. “She was being her.”
That alone explained a lot.
“That left only the maids,” Dan continued. “Mom and Dad were supposed to come back late today, but they got a notification on their phones that the safe had been opened. Dad immediately told estate security not to let anyone out of the estate.”
My stomach tightened.
“So the necklace is still in here,” Ryan said quietly.
“Yes,” Dan nodded. “Somewhere. And we’re going to find it. I called you back because Mom isn’t taking this well at all. I thought you could help console her.”
I shook my head slowly. “I’m honestly short of words after hearing all this. Why would a maid try something that stupid, knowing fully well the outcome if she gets caught?”
“I don’t know,” Dan replied. “But Dad isn’t thinking rationally right now.”
“Let’s just head back inside,” I said after a moment. “And hope Dad doesn’t shoot anyone today. I’ll try to calm them down.”
With a single nod between us, we turned and walked back into the house.
The moment we stepped into the living room, the guards returned from the staff quarters. Their expressions alone told me everything.
“We searched every nook and cranny of every room, boss,” one of the guards said respectfully. “But we couldn’t find anything. It’s not in the maids’ rooms.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
“Then where the hell could it be?” my dad shouted, his voice booming through the living room as anger completely took over.
He paced aggressively now, the gun still in his hands.
“We got the notification when the safe was opened,” he continued. “Which means someone was in my room. Someone took it, and I am going to find that person and make them pay.”
The way his voice rose, thick with fury, made my heart pound. I knew then that if I didn’t step in, things could spiral out of control very quickly.
“Dad,” I said, walking closer to him carefully. “Relax. Maybe it’s somewhere else in the house. We just need to find it.”
He turned sharply to look at me, his eyes blazing.
Before he could respond, Isabel finally spoke.
“Yes, I think she’s right, Dad.”
I froze.
Slowly, I turned to look at Isabel. Shock flickered across my face. First, she had been excited to see me earlier, which was already strange. Now she was agreeing with me?
“You’ve searched all the maids’ rooms, right?” Isabel continued calmly. “So why don’t we search every other available place.”