Adeline slid the thin surgical needle into the rusted keyhole of the basement door. Her sensitive fingertips felt the subtle vibrations of the internal pins.
Click. Click. Snap.
It took less than ten seconds. The heavy iron lock popped open.
Adeline pushed the door aside and moved silently through the empty house. She bypassed the main security cameras and slipped into the garage.
She ignored Ewell's luxury cars and walked straight to the unassuming Ford sedan used for grocery runs. She didn't need to hotwire it; her sharp eyes had caught the chauffeur hiding the spare key inside the magnetic box under the rear wheel well earlier that week. She crouched down, her fingers brushing against the cold metal undercarriage until they found the small black box. She snatched it, pulled out the key, and slid into the driver's seat.
With a smooth twist of the key, the engine roared to life, the steady hum vibrating through the steering wheel.
Adeline threw the car into reverse, tires screeching against the concrete as she sped out of the estate, merging onto the highway toward Manhattan.
Inside the opulent Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel, crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over New York's elite.
Ewell and Katrina paraded Damaris through the crowd. The custom diamond necklace around Damaris's neck caught the light, drawing envious stares from the socialites.
"Is she the one marrying Mr. Herring?" a woman whispered.
Damaris smiled coyly, neither confirming nor denying, soaking in the intoxicating feeling of absolute power.
Suddenly, the massive double doors of the ballroom were pushed open by two towering bodyguards. The low hum of conversation died instantly.
Griffin Herring walked in.
He wore a bespoke black suit that seemed to absorb the light. His presence was suffocating. His dark, predatory eyes swept the room, radiating a cold, violent authority. The crowd instinctively parted for him.
Ewell broke into a nervous sweat. He grabbed Damaris's arm and rushed forward, a sickeningly eager smile on his face. "Mr. Herring! So glad you could make it."
Griffin stopped. He didn't look at Ewell. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "Where is my fiancé?"
Ewell swallowed hard. "Adeline... she wasn't feeling well. She stayed behind. But Damaris is here to represent our family!"
Griffin's eyes finally shifted to Damaris. The temperature in the room plummeted.
Damaris puffed out her chest, batting her eyelashes, hoping to captivate the billionaire.
But Griffin wasn't looking at her face. His gaze was locked onto her neck.
He recognized the diamonds instantly. He had personally ordered them pulled from the Herring family vault. They were a singular, irreplaceable marker meant for his property.
The muscles in Griffin's jaw feathered. The touch-induced mania he constantly battled flared, fueled by the sheer audacity of the theft. His territory had been violated.
"Where did you get that?" Griffin asked, his voice deadly quiet.
Damaris blushed, completely misreading his tone. "Oh, this? My mother gave it to me as a gift."
Griffin let out a laugh. It was a terrifying, hollow sound that made the hair on Ewell's arms stand up.
Griffin looked at Ewell, his eyes burning with a psychotic rage. "Do you think the Herring family's markers are cheap trinkets for thieves to play with?"
Ewell's face drained of all color. He realized the catastrophic mistake Katrina had made. "Mr. Herring, please, it's a misunderstanding-"
Griffin raised one hand.
Two massive bodyguards stepped forward. They grabbed Damaris by the shoulders, pinning her in place.
Griffin stood over her, his eyes devoid of any human empathy.
