Everyone knew about my existence; they just never wanted to acknowledge it. A poor girl without parents didn’t belong in their world, so I was simply ignored.
Ross masked his irritation and smiled.
“Meeting Zamora is the luck of a lifetime.”
Zamora’s cheeks flushed instantly, and the crowd laughed and cheered. The live-stream chat was full of congratulations and repeated “99+”s.
Then her best friend leaned over, whispering urgently. Zamora’s smile faltered.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
Her friend nodded.
Zamora clenched her teeth, feeling a jolt of bad luck. Today was her birthday, and she planned to have her father marry her off to Ross. If he discovered Ross had a mistress, there was no way he would agree. She could not allow any mishaps today.
Zamora glanced at Ross and suddenly stiffened. Her eyes reddened. Covering her neck with trembling hands, she said, “Ross… my necklace—it’s gone!”
“What necklace?” Ross frowned immediately.
“It’s a family heirloom from my father… An emerald. It’s… priceless,” she bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
Just like that, chaos erupted in the party hall.
Ross acted fast. “Don’t panic. The hall is temporarily sealed; no one can leave. Whoever took it is still here. I’ll get the doors locked.”
He strode out, leaving Zamora behind, her gaze dropping. She turned to her friends.
“Maybe we should check the main hall. I was over there earlier with my bag. It might have been left there.”
Her friends nodded, and they headed to the main hall, only to see me carrying my bag, heading upstairs.
Zamora froze.
“That’s… Issy! How did she get in?”
Her best friend immediately raised her voice.
“I saw her sneaking around nearby. Maybe she took the necklace!”
Guests turned, and cameras zoomed in on me.
Zamora’s expression flickered with something complicated, but she quickly smiled softly at the live-stream audience.
“Don’t misunderstand. She’s Ross’s assistant at the company… I didn’t expect her to be here today.”
Her tone was polite and gentle, but it hinted at my connection to Ross. All eyes then shifted to me.
I went to the Forrer Company this morning to finalize some handovers. I had planned to change into a different outfit afterward, but Zamora and her friends intercepted me.
I stopped, curious to see what scheme they were up to this time.
Her best friend stepped forward, her voice sharp.