Free Web NovelChapter 18: Chapter 18
Aria’s POV
Murmurs filled the air at my words.
Anita blinked, then laughed, a cruel, humorless sound. "A witness? Where?" Her eyes swept the crowd like a predator scanning for weakness. "Which one of these fine workers of mine is going to stick their neck out for you?"
Her words stung, but I stood my ground. My fingers twisted together, sweat slicking my palms.
Mrs. Jennifer.. please come. I prayed silently. I had told her to come by this time.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the low growl of an engine reached my ears.
A black car rolled up to the curb. It was too clean for this dirty street. My breath hitched.
The crowd parted as a maid stepped out, polished and composed. She moved to the passenger side, opening the door with precision.
And then — there she was. freewebnøvel.com
Mrs. Jennifer, radiating wealth and command.
"Is that the cleaning worker you mentioned, Mrs. Jennifer?" the maid asked.
Jennifer’s eyes landed on me, calm but sharp. "Yes," she said. "That’s her."
The murmurs rippled louder now. I could feel their confusion, their fear, their disbelief.
"Ms. Thorne," Jennifer said, her voice clear and steady. "I lost a family heirloom yesterday — a sapphire ring. I believe you found it. I’m here to retrieve it."
Gasps rose all around me, whispers cutting through the chill air like blades. My sharp ears caught onto their whispered words.
"What is she doing? Bringing the ring’s owner here herself? Is she trying to dig her own grave?"
"Yeah, what was she thinking?"
Lana stirred against my chest, her tiny body warm and soft. I shifted her out of the carrier and into my arm, patting her back gently. Her big eyes blinked open taking in the street and the strangers crowding around us.
"Shh, it’s okay," I whispered, brushing my nose lightly against her hair.
Then I turned to the older woman standing before me. Mrs. Jennifer.
"I’m sorry," I said, forcing my voice to stay level. "There must be some mistake. I never took your ring."
Jennifer’s gaze flicked to Lana. For a second, something softened in her expression — curiosity, maybe confusion. She looked at my child the way a wolf might look at a pup she half-recognized. I wondered why.
But she said nothing.
Anita filled the silence, her voice slicing through the air. "Aria, keeping something you found without returning it is basically theft. Stealing someone else’s property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars can land you in jail!"
Her words hit me like claws scraping down my spine. I tightened my grip on Lana. My wolf stirred restlessly within me. Jail. As if I’d risk my child’s life over some ring.
Before Mrs. Jennifer could speak, Anita stepped forward again, her eyes gleaming with false pity. "I may be your supervisor and have shown you kindness because I felt sorry for you. But now that the owner has come forward and the facts are clear, I can’t cover for you anymore."
Her tone made my blood boil. Cover for me? She’d done nothing but take and threaten.
She delivered her little verdict like a queen passing sentence. "Work for two more months and pay back what you owe James, then you’re free to leave."
And to Jennifer, she added, her voice sugar-sweet, "Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll handle this. Aria stole your property. Once she’s paid back her coworker, she’ll be terminated immediately. And for your losses, she’ll take full responsibility."
Her performance was flawless — playing both sides like a snake in daylight.
But I didn’t move or speak immediately.
Jennifer’s maid spoke up, her voice uncertain. "Her supervisor seems somewhat decent. Why don’t we report this to the police and let them help recover the lost item?"
Jennifer stopped her with a raised hand. Her eyes were still on me. "Ms. Thorne," she said, calm but probing, "it’s time to come clean. What’s really going on?"
I drew in a slow breath. My pulse steadied, my heartbeat syncing with Lana’s. Then I turned to Anita.
"I told you," I said quietly, "I have a witness. The lady here is my witness."
That silenced them. Even Anita’s smirk faltered.
I looked back at Jennifer. "When you came looking for me yesterday," I asked, "what was I doing?"
Jennifer frowned, thinking. "You were cleaning the street," she said finally. "You dumped all the trash into the garbage truck that passed by."
I nodded once. "So all these dead leaves, cigarette butts, plastic bags, and tissues... none of them came from my section?"
"Of course not!" Jennifer replied without hesitation. "It’s obvious the people cleaning this side have been slacking off. It has nothing to do with you."
Her certainty rolled through the crowd like a gust of cold wind. Heads turned. Whispers started again.
I turned to Anita, my voice steady, low. "Ms. ," I said, "can I clear my name now?"
Her face went pale, then red, then pale again — as if shame was crawling beneath her skin, trying to decide where to hide.
Anita’s voice cracked through the air like a whip. "Fine, but don’t celebrate too soon. Even if James’s the one slacking and the trash isn’t yours, what about stealing someone’s ring? If you don’t clear this up today, I won’t let you off."
Her tone reeked of power — brittle, performative power. The kind that snapped easily if you pushed the right way.
James jumped in beside her, puffing himself up. "Yeah! Give the ring back today or don’t bother leaving this place!"
His breath hit my nose like rot. Sour, nervous sweat, fear disguised as bravado.
I smiled, just slightly. That small, still kind of smile that made Anita bristle every time.
"Mrs. Jennifer," I said evenly, "your ring is currently hidden in the grass by James’s feet. I wasn’t sure if he was carrying it with him or had hidden it somewhere, but the moment you accused me of stealing your sapphire ring, he started moving it around."
Anita’s mouth twitched.
James froze.
