Yours to Save, Mine to Lose

"Please give it back to me!" I reached out to Sarah without being servile or arrogant. Still, the sleazy director who had tried to grope me earlier grabbed me. "The evidence is right here and you're still lying! You reacted so strongly when I touched you just now. You must have something else hidden in your body. Let me search you!"

He reached into my body without saying a word, his expression sickeningly lecherous. The crowd around us watched with barely hidden glee, some even cheering him on.

"Stop it! You have no right to search me!" I forcefully broke free from his grasp, my voice sharp with rebuke.

"He might not have the right, but the police do! I'm calling them right now! With that necklace's cost, you're going to jail!" Sarah held the necklace high above her head while pulling out her phone, only to be stopped by Mark.

Mark looked at me with a complicated expression, his voice low and admonishing. "Westlyn, do you really need to hit rock bottom before you finally admit the truth? Would it kill you to just tell the truth for once?"

I was close to tears. What I was saying was the truth! What I really couldn't understand was their whole performance. What good could possibly come from pinning a false accusation on me?

"Mark, it's no use protecting her now. Her mistake is too outrageous. She needs to face the law to learn her lesson." Sarah bit her lip, still speaking softly, even though Mark's reaction had made her furious.

The people around them began to chime in, voices rising in agreement. Just then, the doors to the gala hall swung open. Two rows of bodyguards in black suits flanked a tall, handsome man as he strode inside with a commanding presence. All the lights seemed to spotlight him at once as if a god had descended from the heavens.

Someone in the crowd couldn't help but shout in excitement. "It's Declan!"

In an instant, the crowd that had just been surrounding Mark and Sarah now rushed toward Declan. Mark leaned closer to me, lowering his voice. "Westlyn, you stole something that expensive. Declan isn't going to go easy on you. Just admit what you did and I'll try to put in a good word. Maybe he'll give me some face ... "

I ignored him, turning to look at the man in the crowd. He impatiently pushed through the people in front of him and only when he spotted me did his expression soften. He walked straight towards me. Declan removed his sunglasses, wrinkled his nose slightly and gazed at me with his captivating, beautiful almond eyes. "Westlyn, you said we'd come together. You didn't wait for me. I've been looking for you for so long. You've been naughty. I'm going to punish you. Kiss me."