“What do you mean, Arrabella? What jewelry? Don’t accuse me!” the middle-aged woman shouted furiously, causing several servants in the sitting room to immediately lower their heads.
She was Sinta—Nareswara’s mother. Her face was red with barely restrained anger.
She was Nareswara’s mother, a woman deeply respected by every member of the family. No one had ever dared question her words, much less accuse her of taking something that belonged to someone else.
And yet Arrabella had just said it so openly.
In front of the servants, the very people before whom she was supposed to maintain her dignity.
“Watch what you say! Have you gotten even stupider to the point that you don’t realize what you just said?! What jewelry are you talking about?”
Arrabella was still standing in the doorway. Strangely, she didn’t look the least bit afraid.
“The diamond jewelry you gave me at my wedding to Nareswara.”
The atmosphere immediately grew even tenser. Several servants exchanged glances.
They all knew about the jewelry.
Not only because it was extremely valuable, but also because it had been one of the wedding gifts Nareswara gave Arrabella.
A gift that had once become the subject of discussion throughout the entire family.
The middle-aged woman let out a mocking laugh. “So you’re accusing me of taking your jewelry?”
“I’m not accusing you. I’m telling you what I saw.”
“You—!”
Before the woman could finish, footsteps came from the direction of the stairs.
“Arrabella, stop making my mother angry.” Nareswara appeared.
The moment she saw her son, Sinta burst into loud sobs. “Your wife is accusing me of stealing her jewelry! Nares, you should have taught her better!”
Nareswara’s gaze instantly turned icy. “Arrabella—”
“I’m not accusing her. I’m only telling the truth.”
Nareswara walked closer. “What truth? You’re the stupidest idiot I’ve ever known. And now you actually have the nerve to accuse my mother.”
“I didn’t—” Arrabella started to answer, but Nareswara suddenly grabbed her wrist.
With considerable force, he pulled Arrabella away from his mother. “Don’t accuse my mother!”
Arrabella’s gaze fell to the man’s hand gripping her wrist.
Then she lifted her face. “I’m not accusing your mother. But I saw with my own eyes that Mom took my jewelry. Don’t you want to ask me and believe even a little of what I’m saying? I’m telling the truth!”
Nareswara fell silent.
But Sinta immediately cut in. “I didn’t take anything!”
Arrabella looked at her. “Then where is the jewelry now?”
“I don’t know!”
“All right.” Arrabella nodded. “Then Mom won’t mind if we watch the hidden security camera footage from my room together, will you?”
Sinta’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
But then Sinta tried to rearrange her expression until she looked normal again. She said, “Why would we watch security footage over something as minor as jewelry?”
Arrabella raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that the easiest way to prove who’s right and who’s lying?”
Sinta fell silent.
“If I’m really wrong to accuse you, Mom, I’ll apologize in front of every servant here.”
Arrabella glanced at the servants. “I’m even willing to kneel if necessary.”
Then her gaze returned to Sinta.
“But if the footage shows that you took it—”
“No! I don’t want to watch the security footage. It’s unnecessary! I’m your mother-in-law. How can you humiliate me over a piece of jewelry?”
“If you didn’t take it, why are you afraid to watch the footage?”