The moment the auction item was revealed, a wave of shock rippled through the hall.
My stomach sank. The necklace… it wasn't there. Instead, sitting on the display was a worn-out amulet, scratched and faded with age. The crowd's expressions hardened instantly. Whispers swirled like a hunting pack circling prey.
Fabian's jaw tightened, and I caught the panic in his eyes. What am I going to do? he must have thought. This isn't her. She wouldn't—couldn't— His gaze flicked to Ashley, and the smug curl of her lips confirmed everything.
She had done this on purpose. My private keepsake, the amulet my mother had given me, had been switched out to humiliate me. Every word she didn't speak shouted, Let's see how she scrambles now.
"Good heavens! What is this?" a woman exclaimed. "It's… so ugly!"
"It's disrespectful, sending such an old thing to an event like this!" another muttered.
The murmurs grew harsher, sharp as fangs, each one aimed straight at me.
