The silence in the ballroom was deafening.
"I didn't take this," Aria said, her voice steady despite the panic clawing at her throat. "Someone put it in my purse."
"Of course," Victoria said sympathetically. "That must be what happened. An honest mistake."
"No. Not a mistake. A setup." Aria looked at the woman who'd claimed her necklace was stolen. "You bumped into me in the bathroom. On purpose. You put this in my purse."
The woman's eyes filled with tears. "I would never! Why would I do that?"
"Because you just wanted to frame me or someone paid you to," Aria said flatly.
"That's a serious accusation," the event coordinator said. "Do you have any proof?"
"The security cameras in the bathroom," Aria said. "Check the footage. It will show exactly what happened."
The coordinator looked uncomfortable. "Actually, there seems to be a technical issue. The cameras in the ladies' room stopped working this morning. We've been meaning to get them fixed but....."
