As Claudia spoke, she walked over to Josie. Her voice then became notably gentler.
“Are you okay?”
Mixed emotions brewed within Josie. “I didn’t do, so I’m fine.”
Claudia turned around to face Ava directly. Her first words were, “Young lady, I’ve met you before.”
“Mrs. Olsen…” Ava’s heart sank to rock bottom.
“Two years ago, I gave you a large sum of money in my son’s condominium and asked you to leave him. You accepted the money and agreed to my terms. Yet, you stayed by his side and demanded more money by using pregnancy as an excuse.”
With every word from Claudia, the color drained from Ava’s face. In the face of such immense pressure, she couldn’t utter a word of denial.
“If it weren’t for me insisting that you get an amniocentesis, we would never have known that the child you carried wasn’t my son’s.”
Following that single statement, the crowd plunged into an uproar. Whoa! A honey trap!
“What’s this? You raked in money hand over fist, yet it was still insufficient? Now, you’re even trying your tactics on my daughter.”
Claudia’s mention of the word “daughter” rolled off her tongue with such ease and familiarity that Josie was almost too stunned to react.
Ava’s face flushed bright red, but she insisted, “Regardless of whatever happened in the past, the fact remains that the bangle was found in your daughter’s handbag now.”
Claudia gave a slight nod, then turned and motioned at the subordinate she brought along. “Check the bangle and see if it’s worth millions.”
Before she came over, she had already learned of the entire situation and purposely brought along an antique appraiser.
Ava’s hand trembled as she held the bangle. She took a deep breath. “Regardless of its worth, stealing is still a crime!”
Without even needing to touch the bangle, the appraiser made his conclusion. “The color isn’t rich enough, and the material is too thin. It couldn’t possibly be a family heirloom. It’s a fake.”
The first lie was shattered.
Claudia flashed a smile at Ava. “You’re right, young lady. No matter its worth, stealing is a crime.”
Ava nodded emphatically. “Therefore-“
“Bring him in!” commanded Claudia in a deep voice.
At the entrance on the top floor, a young boy was escorted in under duress. Josie’s brows furrowed in surprise, for it was the same person who asked her for a photo, and the person escorting him in was none other than Larry.
Seeing him is akin to seeing Dexter. He has also come?
Bethany was lost. “What is this?”
Larry forcefully pinned the young boy to the ground. “Speak for yourself!”
“I… the bangle…” Noticing the look in Shirley and Ava’s eyes, the young boy didn’t dare lift his head. He said through tears, “I’m an extra hired by Ms. Ava. She… She was the one who instructed me to stop Josie under the pretense of taking a photo and slip the bangle into her bag.”
After he had finished speaking in a stutter, everyone was taken aback.
Vivian snorted. “What a despicable tactic. How filthy.”
Bethany, on the other hand, was puzzled. “So, how did you find out about it?”
“As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I ran into this furtive man. At a glance, I could tell he was up to no good. With just a bit of pressure, he spilled everything.” Larry had his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a dominant aura.
With that, the second lie was exposed.
Ava trembled even more violently. She lifted her head, only to find that Shirley was no longer where she had been.
She fervently shook her head, wanting to deny it all, but she knew that at that point, no one would believe her. Moreover, she was incapable of going against Claudia.
“Ms. Ava, can you apologize now?” Claudia asked, her voice resonant.
Ava dared not lift her head. She shuffled her feet slowly. Just as she wanted to bow in apology to Josie through her tears, she was stopped. The latter’s voice was icy. “Tell me who your accomplice is, and you don’t have to apologize.”
Ava was taken aback for a moment, but she then quickly said, “I did this all by myself. I was jealous and despised you, so I framed you. I’m sorry!”
