Charles folded his arms without showing a hint of regret.
"That's what happens when you raise a thief."
Lauren slowly stood.
Her expression changed completely.
She stepped in front of her daughter.
"No one..."
"...ever touches my child."
Before Charles could answer, his face suddenly twisted with pain.
He grabbed his chest.
His breathing became uneven.
Within seconds, he collapsed onto the ballroom floor.
Guests screamed.
Someone called for an ambulance.
As medical staff rushed toward him, another voice interrupted the chaos.
An elderly woman pointed toward a nearby chair.
"Wait..."
"The bracelet is right there."
Everyone looked.
The missing diamond bracelet had slipped between the chair cushion and armrest after Charles's wife removed it during dinner.
It had never been stolen.
The accusation had been completely false.
Silence swept across the ballroom.