"No, thank you." I politely refused, but the assistant director beside me didn't care for manners.
He shoved me straight toward the dressing room. "Come on, Miss Storm, enough with the act already. Let's be honest. You've got a decent figure. You could probably land a supporting role in an adult film ... "
I felt his hand slide down my back, growing bolder. I quickly slapped it away, my senses on high alert. "What do you think you're doing?" I glared at him.
He clearly frustrated by my rejection. That man later grabbed my collar, raising his other hand to strike me. "You ungrateful little tramp! I was doing you a favour and this is how you repay me?"
I instinctively closed my eyes, bracing for the slap. Fortunately, the blow never came. Mark had seized the man's wrist in a tight grip. "Alright, Mr. Zander, just let it go. Do it for me."
His intervention surprised me. I'd expected him to relish my public humiliation, not come to my rescue. Sarah's face twisted with jealousy at seeing Mark standing up for me, but she soon pointed at my neck and exclaimed, "Look, the necklace on her neck. Isn't it the one that belonged to Declan Shaw, the blockbuster king?"
When Sarah mentioned the most famous actor in the entertainment industry, all eyes in the gala hall were focused on me. I realized then that the necklace hidden beneath my clothes had been exposed during the scuffle.
I calmly adjusted my neckline, but Sarah rushed forward and yanked the necklace off me. The chain dug into my skin as she pulled, making me suck in a sharp breath. She examined it closely, turned it over in her hands, then raised it triumphantly. "I'm sure of it! This is definitely the exact same necklace Declan never takes off!"
That woman was right. Declan gave it to me, but was all this drama necessary? I blinked and was just about to take it back when someone in the crowd shouted, "You're just a damn janitor! How could you possibly have Declan's necklace? Be honest, did you steal it?"
"I was wondering the same thing! Declan was invited to today's event but still hasn't shown up. When I asked the staff, they said he's been looking for something ... "
"That settles it! This cleaner stole Declan's necklace! No wonder she turned down Mark's check and the job we offered her. She already hit the jackpot!"
They were all so convinced, practically ready to condemn me on the spot. "Everyone ... " I cleared my throat. "Is it possible that this is mine and it just happens to be the same style as the one you're talking about?" I tried to explain, but they laughed as if I'd told a joke.
"Yours? And it's the same style?" Sarah's voice rose sharply as if she'd finally caught me in a lie.
"You're so ignorant! The emerald on Declan's necklace is a priceless treasure, auctioned off at Christie's in this country five years ago for two hundred million dollars!"
"You couldn't even fake emerald of that quality, let alone find a matching one!"
"You're just a lowly janitor! Your lies don't even make sense!"
I was genuinely shocked to learn the necklace's value. Sarah certainly knew her stuff, but she didn't realize that Declan had bought two pieces of jade at the auction. He'd given me the more exquisite one while keeping the slightly inferior piece for himself. "Believe it or not, this is mine," I insisted.
