Chapter 8 I Can Prove My Innocence

The maid, puzzled by Yaslyn's question, replied nevertheless. "My name is Nancy Lewis."

Soon, the butler descended the stairs to report, "Sir, madam, we found these items in the bottom cabinet of Ms. Lyon's coat rack."

Contained within the black plastic bag were a jade bracelet, a necklace, and a bracelet adorned with precious gems, all of which belonged to Sophie.

A collective gasp of surprise echoed throughout the room when they realized the missing items had indeed been found in Yaslyn's room. Sophie's face was clouded with fury.

"Stephen, what have you to say for yourself? Look at the kind of woman you've found for our sons. Not only is she from some small, insignificant place, she also has filthy hands."

"There's no way Yaslyn could've done this," Stephen asserted with conviction.

Zaylee, feigning sympathy, added, "Indeed, could there possibly be some kind of misunderstanding?"

The room became stiff with tension. At that moment, Xoan stood up and suggested, "Father, mother, let's ask Officer Adams to check for fingerprints."

If Yaslyn were guilty, her fingerprints would undoubtedly be on the jewelry. To prove Yaslyn's innocence, Stephen called over Officer Adams from the police station.

Sophie gave a nod and said, "Fine. If she stole these items, Yaslyn must break off the engagement and leave the Warren family."

Before Stephen could respond, Yaslyn replied in a composed voice, "I agree."

Identification would take some time, so the group moved to the dining room for dinner. Once they were seated and Sophie and Stephen were still not there, Marcus spoke in a voice that relished in Yaslyn's misfortune, "Yaslyn, this might be your last grand meal. Enjoy it."

"You should enjoy it as well. If this isn't my last meal here, I'll have Mr. Warren kick you out first thing tomorrow."

"Yeah, right!"

Marcus did not sound confident, though. If the jewelry was not stolen by Yaslyn, he would get into trouble.

After dinner, the identification results were out. Yaslyn's fingerprints were found on the jade bracelet and in Stephen and Sophie's room. Stephen found it hard to believe.

"So, it was you, Yaslyn. There's no way out of it now, is there? Butler, pack up this thief's belongings and escort her out."

"Wait a moment." Yaslyn stood up, calmly replying, "I didn't steal anything."

She recalled that the doorknob seemed to have a layer of film on it yesterday, which was already gone. Her fingerprints were likely taken from there and transferred onto the jade bracelet.

Sophie sneered, "Ha! The evidence is clear. How do you plan on explaining this?"

"I have proof of my innocence," Yaslyn responded, "Mrs. Warren, may I borrow this jade piece?"

No one understood what Yaslyn meant. She calmly picked up the jade bracelet from the table and put it on her wrist.

"Yaslyn, what do you mean by this?"

Yaslyn did not reply. She extended her hand into the light. Under the illumination, they saw that her normally fair wrist had turned red and swollen.

Pain and intense itching overwhelmed Yaslyn, but she seemed not to care. She smiled and said, "Mrs. Warren, the jade you bought is indeed of excellent quality. The better the quality, the more severe my allergic reaction."

Stephen quickly interjected, "Silly girl, if you know you're allergic to jade, why would you touch it? Quickly, take it off."

By then, Yaslyn's wrist had swollen to the point where it was peeling, and the two fingers that held the jade bracelet were covered in a rash.

After removing the bracelet, Yaslyn looked at Sophie and gave her a cold smile.

"These symptoms won't go away for at least three days. Therefore, I didn't steal the items."

Sophie refused to let it go. "Maybe you were wearing gloves when you took them?"

"If I wore gloves, how could my fingerprints be on the bracelet?"

Sophie was left speechless.