The elderly woman quietly watched Ryan.
"Stop."
"No one else bent down."
Ryan looked confused.
"I couldn't leave them behind."
As he picked up the final pearl, something unusual happened.
The pearl suddenly clicked.
Its smooth shell slowly opened.
Inside rested a tiny gold key.
Ryan stared in disbelief.
"The vault key?"
"What is this?"
Managers gathered around.
The store director froze the moment he saw the tiny key.
His face turned pale.
Everyone in the showroom knew the story.
For nearly forty years, the Windsor family had hidden the master key to the private heritage vault inside a custom-made pearl.
Only the owner knew which pearl contained it.
The elderly woman smiled calmly.
The room fell silent.