Ashley smiled even more. “The ring’s in your bag, yet you still claim innocence. People like you don’t belong at Phoenix Entertainment. Get out of here!”
The others joined in, shouting, “You’re a thief! Get out!”
Bianca wanted to explain, but she knew it was pointless.
With a determined expression, she opened her bag and peered inside. There, at the bottom, was the glimmering diamond ring. She carefully picked it up with a napkin.
As the ring sparkled under the lights, the crowd grew even more hostile.
But Bianca remained unaffected. Holding up the ring, she declared confidently, “I can prove who actually stole it!”
The crowd went quiet, curious about what Bianca had to say.
With a determined look, Bianca addressed them, “Before the ring was stolen, only Mrs. Lopez had touched it. If we find someone else’s fingerprints on it, we’ll know who really stole it.”
She turned to face Ashley, a confident smile on her face. “That’s why I used a tissue to pick up the ring.”
Ashley’s face turned pale as she lunged for the ring, but Bianca dodged her smoothly. “What are you doing? You’re acting guilty!”
“Wh-what’re you talking about? I-I’m not guilty!” Ashley stammered, her eyes darting around nervously. “Stop with this nonsense and admit you stole it!”
However, the bystanders found Bianca’s suggestion logical. Handing the ring over to the police for fingerprint analysis seemed like the right move to uncover the truth and avoid wrongful accusations.
Moreover, Bianca didn’t seem scared at all. If she were guilty, she’d probably be terrified. So, it seemed more likely that someone else took the ring.
Paige’s expression softened when she looked at Bianca. “Let’s involve the police and let them sort it out.”
Ashley’s confidence vanished in an instant.
Ashley was consumed by fear. If her fingerprints were found on the ring, she could face serious consequences. She might get banned from the entertainment industry or even end up in jail!
Driven by panic, Ashley lunged at Bianca suddenly, knocking the ring out of her hand. It rolled several meters away on the ground.
Ashley jumped up and dashed towards the rolling ring. She needed to grab it before anyone else did so she could remove her fingerprints and avoid being accused of stealing it!
The rolling ring stopped a few meters away, and just as Ashley was about to grab it, a shiny leather shoe stepped on it.
Ashley looked up in a rush, only to find Justin standing before her. His usually gentle eyes were now icy cold.
“M-Mr. Wilson…” Ashley’s voice trembled. Her face had paled completely, and her hair was messy from the recent commotion.
Justin’s cold gaze scanned over Ashley. With a flick of his hand, his assistant picked up the ring carefully using an iron tweezers and placed it into a black box.
Justin didn’t address Ashley directly. Instead, he turned to the crowd and spoke in a stern tone, “Tonight is supposed to be a celebration of Phoenix Entertainment’s successful film. I apologize for this disturbance. Calling the police will attract media attention, which I’d rather avoid. If the real thief confesses now, we can resolve this internally. However, if no one comes forward, the police will handle the problem. Whoever tarnishes our company’s reputation will face consequences.”
Ashley gripped her skirt tightly, feeling lost and scared.
“I’ll give the thief until the count of three,” Justin declared, his voice commanding. He ominously rubbed the jade ring on his thumb. “Then I’ll call the police.”
“One…”
“Two…”
“Three-”
As Justin was about to say “three,” Ashley’s psychological defenses finally crumbled, and she confessed, collapsing to the ground. “It was me… I took the ring…”
The banquet hall erupted in chaos.
“She stole it?!”
“Wasn’t she accusing someone else just now?”
“What a dirty trick to play!”
Bianca approached Ashley and stared down at her. “You get what you give. Didn’t Stacey ever teach you that? Oh, right-she probably doesn’t know that saying either.”
Ashley glared back at Bianca, her eyes filled with hatred.
“I heard you’re one of our new artists, Jasmine, right?” Justin asked, glaring coldly at Ashley. “What you did today not only hurt the company’s image, but it’s also a serious breach of your contract. While I won’t send you to jail, I will end our contract with you.”
“No, please! Mr. Wilson, I’m sorry! Please give me another chance!” Ashley pleaded, grabbing Justin’s pants leg and crying.
Justin wrinkled his nose in disgust, shaking off her hands firmly. He ordered his assistant, “Take her away.”
Hearing this, Ashley quickly changed her approach. She turned to Bianca and pleaded, “I didn’t mean to harm you, alright? It was just a joke! We’re sisters, aren’t we? Please, Bianca, help me out!”
“Are they really sisters?!”
Everyone was shocked.
Bianca gazed down at Ashley with a cold stare, showing no sympathy in her eyes.
As Ashley clutched at the hem of Bianca’s dress, begging for forgiveness, Bianca simply pushed her away without any compassion. “Don’t call me that. I’m not your sister. I won’t accept a thief as my sister!”
Just then, several security guards arrived and seized Ashley by the arms, forcibly removing her from the venue.
Refusing to give up, Ashley kicked and screamed, threatening, “Bianca Scott, you’ll regret this!”
As the echoes of Ashley’s screams faded, the party slowly resumed its lively atmosphere.
Paige approached Bianca with a remorseful look. “I’m deeply sorry for doubting you, Miss.”
Bianca waved off her apology with a gentle smile. “It’s alright. I understand how precious that ring is to you, especially since it was a gift from your husband. You must have been very frightened just now.”
Paige couldn’t help but smile back. She found Bianca to be not only considerate but also eloquent. Moreover, her calm attitude in the face of adversity impressed Paige.
“By the way, you haven’t told me your name yet,” Paige reminded her softly.
“Oh, yes! I’m Bianca Scott.” With a cheerful smile, Bianca extended her hand and added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Paige shook her hand and said sincerely, “Bianca, I won’t forget about you.”
Dave watched everything happen from the balcony on the second floor. He couldn’t help but smile at how calmly and wisely Bianca handled the situation.
After Paige excused herself, Bianca heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, her tiredness hit her, and she let out a big yawn.
“Feeling tired?” A deep voice came from behind.
Bianca turned around and saw Justin standing there. She greeted him politely, saying, “Thank you for your words earlier, Mr. Wilson.”