Two days later, Bradley sat behind his desk. His dark eyes were fixed on a small, black velvet jewelry box resting near his keyboard.
He reached out and slowly popped the lid open.
Inside lay the "Tears of an Angel"—a legendary diamond necklace that caught the light and fractured it into a million blinding pieces. He had bought it at an underground auction for an astronomical price. It was supposed to be Herminia's third-anniversary gift.
He stared at the diamonds, dark possessiveness clawing at his throat. Once his hostile takeover crushed her company and brought her to her knees, he would personally fasten this necklace around her neck. He would lock it on her like a collar, forcing her to understand who truly owned her.
The intercom buzzed. Connor's voice came through. "Sir, the emergency cross-border merger meeting is starting. They need you now."
Bradley frowned. He moved to secure the velvet box inside his biometric wall safe. But the intercom buzzed again with rising urgency, and his mind flashed to Herminia's defiant eyes. Distracted and furious, he shoved the box into the safe and slammed the heavy steel door—failing to realize the latch hadn't fully engaged.
He grabbed his suit jacket and marched out.
Ten minutes later, the heavy wooden door of the CEO's office slowly pushed open.
Kristal walked in wearing the latest Chanel tweed suit, holding a designer lunchbox. She was here to check if Bradley was secretly contacting that bitch Herminia. "I have an urgent delivery for him," she had lied sweetly to the secretary, slipping past while the assistant turned to answer a call.
Seeing the office empty, she boldly walked behind the massive executive desk.
Her eyes instantly locked onto the slightly ajar steel safe, the edge of a luxurious black velvet box peeking out from the shadows.
Greed surged through her. She reached out and pressed the silver latch.
The lid popped open. The diamonds sparkled fiercely under the office lights, dazzling her.
Kristal gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth, her body trembling with pure excitement. She recognized it immediately from fashion magazines. The Tears of an Angel.
Her mind raced. Next week was her twenty-fourth birthday. Her vanity instantly convinced her that this was Bradley's surprise gift for her—a way to make up for the ruined European vacation.
She carefully lifted the heavy necklace from the velvet and held it against her pale neck, turning to look at her reflection in the window. She imagined the faces of the high-society women at her birthday party. They would die of jealousy.
Suddenly, the sharp click of high heels sounded in the hallway.
Kristal panicked. Her fingers tightened around the necklace. She couldn't bear to put it back. Bradley had practically left it out for her—he must have wanted her to find it. This was her gift. She deserved it.
Without another thought, she shoved the diamond necklace into her designer handbag. She snapped the empty velvet box shut and pushed it back to its exact spot, hiding the theft.
A secretary walked in, her eyes flashing with disgust when she saw Kristal behind the desk. "The CEO is in a meeting."
Kristal lifted her chin arrogantly, acting like the lady of the house. "I was just leaving his lunch."
She walked out of the office, a massive, triumphant smile spreading across her face. Her handbag, heavy with the stolen treasure, swung at her side.
As soon as she hit the hallway, she pulled out her phone and opened her private group chat with her socialite friends. She quickly typed a message bragging about the priceless, world-class diamond necklace her "man" was about to give her.
She smiled maliciously at her screen. She was going to invite Herminia to the party.
She wanted that loser to watch her wear it.
