He Bought His Mistress A Penthouse In The Building I Own Chapter 09

He Bought His Mistress A Penthouse In The Building I Own Chapter 09: The Stolen Necklace

“She didn’t waste any time finding a replacement,” David murmured near my shoulder.

I followed his gaze toward the grand entrance of the ballroom.

Chloe swept into the charity gala. She clung tightly to the arm of an older, gray-haired man in a bespoke tuxedo.

“Julian’s credit ran dry,” I noted. “She needed a new wallet.”

“That is Richard Montgomery,” David identified. “Real estate developer. Recently divorced.”

“Does he know he is funding a sinking ship?”

“He will soon enough.”

I raised my crystal flute. I took a sip of my champagne. The liquid felt ice-cold against my tongue.

Then the light from the overhead crystal chandelier shifted. It caught the base of Chloe’s throat.

A massive, oval-cut sapphire rested against her collarbone. It hung suspended by a thick white-gold chain.

The champagne in my glass tilted dangerously. I lowered it before my hand could betray me.

“David,” I said.

“Do you know him?”

—

“I know the jewelry.”

David squinted through the crowded room. “The blue stone?”

“My grandmother’s sapphire.”

He turned to me. His jaw set hard. “Are you absolutely positive?”

“I memorized every flaw in that gem when I was seven years old.”

“Julian stole it from your private vault?”

“He had the passcode. I never changed it.”

I set my glass onto a passing waiter’s silver tray. The stem rattled against the metal surface.

“Do you want me to call estate security?” David asked.

“No.”

“Seraphina, if she leaves the building with that piece, recovering it becomes a legal nightmare.”

“She isn’t leaving with it.”

I stepped away from the bar.

My shoes sank into the plush wool carpet. They made absolutely no sound. Yet every step forward made my knee joints tight and painfully sore. The physical strain radiated up my legs, a direct reaction to the sheer audacity parading across my venue.

“Wait here,” I told David over my shoulder.

I pushed past a group of board members. They parted instantly.

—

Chloe laughed at something Montgomery said. She tilted her head back, proudly showing off the brilliant blue stone to the room.

I closed the distance. My gaze locked entirely on the necklace.

“Chloe,” I said.

She spun around. Her smile vanished. Her hand instinctively flew up to cover her chest.

“Seraphina.” Her voice wavered.

Montgomery looked between us. “Do you two know each other?”

“We share mutual interests,” I replied. I kept my eyes fixed on Chloe. “Though it seems her tastes have shifted since yesterday.”

Chloe’s cheeks flushed bright red. She dropped her hand and lifted her chin.

“Richard, this is Seraphina,” Chloe introduced, recovering her poise. “She is my former client.”

“Former?” I asked.

“I decided to terminate the contract,” she lied smoothly. “Too many creative differences.”

“Is that what you call a declined credit card?”

Montgomery bristled. “Excuse me?”

“Your date has a habit of shopping with other people’s money, Richard.”

—

Chloe glared at me. “You have no right to speak to me like that.”

“I have every right to speak to a thief.”

“I am not a thief!” She took a step back, pulling Montgomery with her. “Julian gave me this as a gift.”

“Julian doesn’t own it.”

“He said he bought it at an estate sale in London.”

A short, dry laugh escaped my throat. It startled a passing guest, who quickly hurried away from our circle.

“London?” I asked.

“Yes,” Chloe insisted. “For our anniversary.”

“You and my fiancé had an anniversary?”

Montgomery pulled his arm out of Chloe’s grip. He stepped aside, creating a physical barrier between himself and her.

“Fiancé?” Montgomery repeated. “You told me you were single, Chloe.”

“I am single!” she panicked, reaching for his sleeve. “Julian and I broke up last night.”

“Because his accounts were frozen,” I clarified.

“Because he lied to me!” Chloe yelled.

Heads turned in our direction. The gentle hum of the charity gala died down.

—

“Keep your voice down,” Montgomery warned her.

“She is trying to ruin my reputation!”

“You did that yourself,” I said.

I stepped directly into her personal space. The scent of her heavy floral perfume hit my nose.

“Take it off,” I ordered.

Chloe crossed her arms. “No.”

“That necklace belonged to my grandmother. It is a family heirloom.”

“Julian gave it to me.”

“Julian stole it from my safe.”

“Prove it.”

I stared at her. The sheer arrogance in her eyes sparked a fresh wave of heat across my skin.

“There is a microscopic serial number engraved on the back of the clasp,” I explained. “Registered to the Vanguard Trust.”

Chloe swallowed hard. Her gaze darted toward the exit.

“I will mail it to you tomorrow,” she bargained.

“You will hand it over right now.”

“I can’t take it off in the middle of a ballroom!”

—

“Then I will.”

“Don’t touch me!”

“Security!” Chloe called out, waving her hand frantically. “This woman is harassing me.”

A nearby guard in a black suit took a step forward. He recognized my face. He immediately stepped back and turned his head the other way.

“They work for the gala committee,” I reminded her. “I am the co-chair.”

“You can’t just bully people because you have money.”

“I am retrieving stolen property.”

“Julian gave it to me!”

“Julian is currently sitting in an empty apartment with no electricity,” I said. “Do you truly believe he purchased a two-million-dollar heirloom?”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “Two million?”

“Did he tell you it was costume jewelry?”

“He said it was vintage.”

“He lied to you. Again.” I held out my hand. “Give it to me.”

Montgomery cleared his throat. “Chloe, just give her the jewelry.”

“Richard, please. She is humiliating me.”

—

“You are embarrassing yourself,” he stated.

He turned his back and walked toward the coat check.

Chloe watched her new target abandon her. Her mouth opened in shock.

“Now look what you did,” she snapped at me.

“You have five seconds to unclip that chain.”

“Or what? You’ll call the police?”

“I won’t need to.”

“You are just bitter because he chose me over you.”

I tilted my head. “He chose a free meal. When the meal ticket vanished, so did he.”

“He loves me.”

“He loves my bank account. And you loved his access to it.”

Chloe’s hands balled into fists. “You are a cold, miserable woman. No wonder he needed to look elsewhere.”

“Four seconds.”

“I am leaving.” She spun around to follow Montgomery.

I moved faster.

My fingers directly hooked the white-gold base of the sapphire.