Chapter 2
Nobody spoke.
The regional director, Daniel Brooks, stood in the middle of the showroom breathing hard.
He had obviously run from wherever his car had stopped.
The saleswoman’s face lost all color.
The manager swallowed.
“Mr. Brooks, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Ethan?”
“I asked to see a necklace.”
Daniel turned toward the manager.
“And?”
The manager opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
I pointed at the glass case.
“That diamond pendant.”
Daniel walked over, took the manager’s keys directly from his hand, and unlocked the case.
Then he removed the pendant and placed it carefully on the velvet pad.
“There.”
His voice was ice cold.
“Apparently it wasn’t difficult.”
The saleswoman stared at the floor.
I looked at the necklace.
It was beautiful.
A round diamond surrounded by smaller stones.
Simple.
Elegant.
Exactly the kind of thing Claire would love.
I picked it up.
The saleswoman suddenly stepped forward.
“Sir, I’m so sorry. I genuinely didn’t know who you were.”
I looked at her.
“That’s the problem.”
Her mouth closed.
I set the necklace back down.
“You shouldn’t need to know who I am.”
Daniel folded his arms.
The manager tried again.
“Mr. Harrison, I apologize. We were only following security procedures.”
“No, you weren’t.”
His eyes widened.
I continued.
“You never asked for identification.”
Silence.
“You never asked whether I wanted financing.”
Silence.
“You never offered to show me another piece.”
The couple who had been watching earlier stood frozen near the entrance.
“You looked at my clothes,” I said. “Then you decided I didn’t belong here.”
The saleswoman’s eyes filled with tears.
“I made a mistake.”
“You laughed at me.”
Her lips trembled.
“That was inappropriate.”
“You asked if I was calling someone to loan me money.”
She looked away.
The second employee who had laughed earlier quietly disappeared toward the back.
Daniel noticed.
“Jennifer.”
She froze.
“Come back.”
She slowly returned.
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“Everyone involved stays.”
The manager looked around nervously.
“Mr. Brooks, maybe we should discuss this privately.”
“No.”
Daniel pointed toward the security cameras.
“We’ll discuss it exactly where it happened.”
I almost smiled.
Daniel had worked for my father for twenty-two years.
He was usually calm.
Painfully calm.
Seeing him angry was almost more frightening than seeing my father angry.
The saleswoman whispered, “Are we fired?”
Daniel looked at me.
I shook my head.
“That isn’t my decision.”
Technically, it wasn’t.
Despite being the owner’s son, I didn’t work for Harrison Jewelers.
At least not officially.
That was part of the reason nobody recognized me.
My father had spent years trying to convince me to join the company.
I had spent years refusing.
I’d built a small software company instead.
Nothing glamorous.
Nothing connected to the Harrison name.
I wanted one thing that belonged to me.
Dad hated that.
We fought about it constantly.
Daniel turned to the manager.
“Close the doors.”
The manager blinked.
“What?”
“Close the store.”
“But it’s two in the afternoon.”
“Then you understand how serious this is.”
The manager hurried toward the entrance.
A voice came from behind us.
“Don’t close anything.”
I knew that voice.
I turned.
My father walked in.
Richard Harrison.
Sixty-two.
Silver hair.
Charcoal suit.
The kind of man who could enter a room quietly and still make everyone feel like the temperature had changed.
Daniel straightened.
“Richard.”
Dad ignored him.
His eyes went directly to me.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine.”
He nodded once.
Then he looked at the employees.
Nobody moved.
Dad walked toward the case.
His eyes settled on the necklace.
“This the one?”
“Yes.”
He picked it up.
“Good choice.”
“Claire likes simple things.”
He gave me a small look.
“Eighteen thousand dollars isn’t simple.”
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Then he turned toward the saleswoman.
“What’s your name?”
“Melissa Grant.”
“How long have you worked here?”
“Three years.”
“And you?”
He looked at the manager.
“Paul Richards. Seven years.”
Dad nodded.
“Seven years.”
Paul looked hopeful for one second.
It disappeared when Dad spoke again.
“Then you’ve had seven years to learn what this company supposedly stands for.”
Paul lowered his head.
Dad turned toward Daniel.
“Pull the footage.”
Daniel nodded.
“Already planned on it.”
“Not just today.”
Everyone looked up.
Dad’s expression didn’t change.
“Last ninety days.”
Paul’s face changed immediately.
It was slight.
But I noticed.
So did Dad.
Dad stared at him.
“Is there something else I should know?”
“No, sir.”
Too fast.
Dad stepped closer.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at Paul.
Then at the saleswoman.
Melissa was suddenly crying.
Not loud.
Just silent tears.
Jennifer looked terrified.
I felt my anger fade into something else.
Suspicion.
Dad saw it too.
“What happened here before today?”
Paul shook his head.
“Nothing.”
Dad spoke quietly.
“Daniel.”
“I’ll have corporate security review every customer complaint attached to this location.”
Paul’s jaw tightened.
“Sir, with all due respect, this is becoming excessive.”
Dad’s head turned slowly.
“With all due respect?”
Paul realized his mistake.
“I only mean—”
“You humiliated my son because you believed he had less money than the people around him.”
“That wasn’t—”
“And now you’re telling me investigating whether you humiliated other customers is excessive?”
Paul stopped.
Dad nodded toward the office.
“Give Daniel your access credentials.”
Paul’s face went white.
“I can email them.”
“Now.”
He didn’t move.
Daniel said, “Paul.”
Finally, Paul walked toward the office.
Dad watched him go.
Then he looked at me.
“Buy the necklace.”
I frowned.
“That seems weird now.”
“Why?”
“Because the whole experience is ruined.”
“Claire doesn’t know that.”
“No.”
Dad picked up the pendant again.
“You came here for her, not for them.”
That landed harder than I expected.
Dad and I fought about almost everything.
But every once in a while, he said something that reminded me why Mom had loved him for thirty-four years.
I nodded.
“I’ll take it.”
Melissa wiped her cheeks.
“I can ring it up.”
Dad looked at her.
“No.”
She flinched.
I said, “It’s okay.”
Dad looked at me.
“She insulted you.”
“And she can finish helping me.”
Melissa stared at me.
I continued.
“If she’s willing.”
“Yes.”
Her voice cracked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Ethan.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“My name is Ethan.”
Something in her expression broke.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.”
This time the apology sounded different.
I nodded.
“Okay.”
She carefully placed the pendant into a black velvet box.
Then she walked me to the register.
She didn’t try to sell me anything else.
She didn’t comment on the price.
She simply asked, “Would you like it gift wrapped?”
“Yes.”
While she wrapped the box, Dad’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Then at Daniel.
His expression darkened.
“What?”
Daniel walked closer.
Dad answered.
“Harrison.”
He listened.
His face changed.
“What account?”
A pause.
“How much?”
Daniel’s posture stiffened.
Dad turned away from the counter.
“No. Freeze everything. Nobody transfers another dollar until I get there.”
He hung up.
I looked at him.
“What happened?”
Dad didn’t answer immediately.
Daniel did.
“Richard?”
Dad stared at Paul’s office door.
Then he said four words that made everyone silent again.
“We’re missing two million.”
Paul’s office door slammed shut.
Daniel spun around.
“Paul!”
Dad ran.
I had never seen my father run inside one of his stores.
Daniel reached the office first.
The door was locked.
“Open it!”
No answer.
He hit the door with his shoulder.
Nothing.
Jennifer gasped.
Melissa dropped the ribbon she was holding.
Dad shouted.
“Paul!”
We heard glass break.
Daniel stepped back.
“Call security.”
I was already moving.
There was a side hallway leading toward the employee exit.
I ran through it.
Behind me, Dad yelled my name.
I ignored him.
I pushed through the rear door just in time to see Paul Richards sprinting across the parking lot.
He wasn’t carrying a briefcase.
He wasn’t carrying a coat.
May you like
He was carrying a laptop.
And when he saw me behind him, he ran faster.
