The elevator doors chimed, signaling my arrival at the lobby. The anonymous text message burned in my mind. *Meet me at the docks.* I had to find out who framed me.
"Miss Liora. Stop right there."
Two massive security guards blocked the revolving glass doors.
"Move," I ordered, clutching my phone. "I have an urgent meeting."
"Mr. Silas requested your immediate return to the penthouse," the taller guard stated. He grabbed my elbow, his grip like a vise.
"Let go of me! I already left his keys upstairs!"
"We aren't asking."
They dragged me back into the elevator. My heart hammered against my ribs. A tiny spark of hope flared in my chest. Did Silas read my messages? Did he finally realize the photos were fake?
The doors opened to the penthouse.
"Silas?" I called out, stumbling into the foyer as the guards shoved me forward. "Did you look at the evidence?"
"Empty your pockets," Silas commanded. He stood by the fireplace, his arms crossed, his eyes dark with fury.
Blair huddled on the sofa behind him, dabbing her dry eyes with a tissue.
"What is going on?" I asked.
"My necklace," Blair whimpered. "And the engagement ring. They’re gone."
"And you think I took them?" I stared at Silas, completely baffled. "I was halfway out of the building."
"You were the only other person in this home," Silas snapped. "Dump your purse. Now."
"This is insane. I didn't steal anything!"
"Do it, or my men will do it for you."
I marched up to the marble kitchen island and slammed my clutch upside down. Lipstick, a compact mirror, my phone, and a small leather wallet tumbled out.
And a massive diamond ring.
The platinum band clattered against the stone counter, spinning in a circle before resting flat. The diamonds caught the overhead light, mocking me.
I stared at the jewelry. A harsh, broken laugh ripped from my throat. It was too absurd.
"You find this funny?" Silas marched forward, grabbing my winter coat from my arm. He shoved his hand into the right pocket and yanked out the glittering diamond necklace.
"I didn't put those there!" I yelled, my laughter dying instantly. "She planted them! She hugged you by the entryway table where my things were!"
"Always playing the victim," Blair sneered, dropping the tissue. She stood up and walked over, her fake tears vanishing. "You were jealous. You couldn't handle the fact that Silas gave my neck the diamonds you begged for."
"You are a pathological liar, Blair."
"Enough!" Silas roared. "I caught you cheating, and now I catch you stealing. You have completely lost your mind, Liora."
"Silas, please use your brain. Why would I steal jewelry and then walk out the front door where your guards are stationed?"
"Because you are desperate and pathetic," he replied, turning his back on me. "Call the police, Blair. Have her arrested."
"Wait, baby," Blair murmured, resting her hand on his shoulder. "The police will just cause a media scandal. We don't want the press writing about your crazy ex-fiancée on our first night together."
Silas glanced at her. "What do you suggest?"
Blair picked up the necklace and the ring. A wicked smile stretched across her face. She walked past the living room and unlocked the massive glass doors leading to the rooftop terrace.
A violent gust of winter wind howled into the room, bringing a flurry of snow with it. The blizzard outside was blinding.
"Blair, what are you doing?" I asked, my stomach twisting.
She stepped out onto the snow-covered patio. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she hurled the diamonds over the railing and into the massive snowdrifts lining the edge of the terrace.
"Oops," Blair said, stepping back inside and brushing her hands together.
"Are you crazy?" I screamed. "Those are worth millions!"
"If you want them so badly, go fetch," Blair mocked.
Silas grabbed his tailored overcoat from the sofa. "We are going out to celebrate our reunion. If those pieces aren't sitting on this counter by the time we get back, I will sue you for their full value. My lawyers will bankrupt your family."
"Silas, it's negative ten degrees out there!" I pointed to the terrace. "I'm wearing a silk dress!"
"Then you better dig fast," he said coldly.
He wrapped his arm around Blair's waist. They walked straight to the private elevator. The doors slid shut, leaving me entirely alone.
The wind screamed through the open terrace doors.
I looked at the thick white blanket of snow outside. If I didn't find the jewelry, Silas would destroy my parents' small business. He had the money and the power to do it.
I stepped out onto the freezing tiles.
The cold hit me like a physical punch. The wind sliced through my thin gown, freezing the damp tear tracks on my cheeks. I dropped to my hands and knees in the corner where Blair threw the pieces.
"Where are you?" I whispered, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.
I shoved my bare hands into the icy powder. It burned. My fingers quickly turned bright red, then a terrifying shade of blue. I swept my arms back and forth, tossing snow over my shoulders.
Nothing.
Ten minutes passed. My entire body shook violently.
"Come on," I sobbed, digging deeper until my nails scraped the frozen concrete underneath.
Twenty minutes. The wind roared louder, drowning out my cries. My legs lost all feeling. The silk dress clung to my skin like a sheet of ice.
My hand brushed against something hard.
I grabbed it. The engagement ring.
"Got one," I gasped, my voice barely a croak.
I shoved it into my pocket and crawled forward, sweeping my numb arms through the next drift. Where was the necklace?
The cold stopped burning. A strange, heavy warmth started to spread through my chest. My eyelids drooped.
No. Get up. Keep digging.
I tried to push myself off the ground, but my arms collapsed. My cheek hit the freezing snow. The world blurred into shades of gray and black.
The last thing I heard was the crunch of heavy footsteps on the ice.
"Miss Liora!" a voice shouted from far away.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
* * *
A steady, rhythmic beeping pulled me from the void.
Warmth wrapped around me. I forced my eyes open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights. White walls. A scratchy blanket. IV tubes snaking into the back of my hand.
A hospital room.
"You're awake," a gentle, raspy voice said.
I turned my head. Thomas, Silas's elderly head butler, sat in the plastic chair beside my bed. He held a steaming cup of tea in his wrinkled hands.
"Thomas?" My throat felt like sandpaper. "How did I get here?"
"I came up to the penthouse to lock up for the night," Thomas explained, his brow furrowed with worry. "I found you unconscious on the terrace. The doctors said another ten minutes out there, and your heart would have stopped."
"The jewelry," I panicked, trying to sit up. "I only found the ring. I need to go back."
Thomas gently pushed my shoulder down. "Rest, child. I found the necklace. I left both pieces on the counter for Mr. Silas."
Tears of relief welled in my eyes. "Thank you, Thomas. You saved my life."
"I did what anyone should have done." He sighed, reaching into his suit pocket. "However, I found something else while I was searching the snow. It was buried near the railing."
He pulled out a small, water-damaged black box and placed it on my lap.
"What is this?" I asked.
"A hidden camera," Thomas whispered. "It was aimed directly at the entryway table where your coat and purse were resting earlier tonight."
My heart stopped. The proof.
"Does it work?" I asked, my fingers trembling as I touched the cold plastic.
"I checked the memory card on my laptop before I brought you here," Thomas said, his expression turning grim. "It works perfectly. But you need to see who actually planted the jewelry, Miss Liora. Because it wasn't Blair."
