“Daniel, why are you making such a big deal out of this? She ruined the dress.””
Daniel didn’t answer.
He just stared at her.
Then he said the words that erased the confidence from her face.
“Because she’s the owner’s daughter.””
The color disappeared from Chloe’s expression.
“What?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Miss Evelyn, I sincerely apologize.””
The entire boutique froze.
Chloe’s mouth opened slightly.
“No…”
She looked at me again, but this time she wasn’t seeing my sweater or my old handbag.
She was seeing the person she had refused to see from the beginning.
I stepped closer.
“Interesting,” I said quietly.
Her face tightened.
I glanced at the damaged emerald dress.
“Now let’s discuss what you might have to sell.””
For the first time since I walked into the store, Chloe looked afraid.
But I knew the truth.
The dress wasn’t the only thing damaged that day.
Something much bigger had been torn apart.
And when I saw the security footage Daniel pulled up on his tablet a few minutes later, I discovered something that made my hands go cold.
The dress had not been damaged when Chloe handed it to me.
Someone had torn it before I arrived.
And Chloe had been waiting for me to take the blame.
But the person who did it was not a stranger.
It was someone inside my own company.
Chapter 2: The Secret Behind the Tear
The boutique’s private office had never felt so quiet.
I sat across from Daniel while the security footage played on the screen.
The emerald dress appeared clearly.
The camera angle wasn’t perfect, but it was enough.
I watched Chloe walk into the fitting room area twenty minutes before I arrived.
She wasn’t carrying the dress carefully.
She was carrying it like it didn’t matter.
Then she looked around.
She made sure nobody was watching.
And she touched the damaged seam.
My jaw tightened.
Daniel paused the video.
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“She knew the cameras were here.””
“She probably thought no one would review them,” I replied.
Daniel looked ashamed.
“This should never have happened.””
I leaned back in the chair.
“What happened to the dress?””
He hesitated.
That hesitation bothered me more than the accusation.
“Daniel.””
He looked at me.
“There’s more.””
I nodded.
“Tell me.””
He took a deep breath.
“The dress was supposed to be transferred to our New York flagship tomorrow. The buyer presentation is next week.””
“And?””
“And Chloe wasn’t responsible for the collection transfer.””
“Who was?””
Daniel looked down.
“The assistant director of sales.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Who?””
Before he answered, someone knocked on the office door.
A young employee stepped inside.
“Daniel, sorry to interrupt. But there’s a problem.””
Daniel stood.
“What happened?””
The employee looked nervous.
“The inventory system changed again.””
I immediately noticed Daniel’s expression.
“What inventory system?””
He exchanged a glance with the employee.
Then he said, “The private collection records.””
My father had built the company from a small family business into an international luxury brand. But he always warned me about one thing.
Money didn’t destroy companies.
People did.
And usually, it started with small things.
A missing item.
A changed record.
A person who believed they were untouchable.
I stood up.
“Show me.””
We walked back onto the boutique floor.
Chloe was still there.
She looked completely different now.
The confidence was gone.
She stood near the counter, quietly packing her things.
When she saw me, she stopped.
“I was told I could leave,” she said.
“You can,” I replied.
Relief flashed across her face.
Then I continued.
“After we finish the investigation.””
Her expression dropped.
“You’re going to investigate me?””
I looked at her.
“You accused me of destroying a dress I never touched.””
She swallowed.
“I made a mistake.””
“No,” I said calmly.
“You made a choice.””
The employees nearby became silent.
Chloe lowered her voice.
“I didn’t know who you were.””
“That’s exactly the problem.””
She looked away.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then I remembered the way she smiled while the guard held my arm.
The way she judged me before knowing anything about me.
The way she believed someone’s appearance determined their value.
Daniel returned with a tablet.
His face was serious.
“Miss Evelyn.””
I turned.
“What did you find?””
He showed me the screen.
A list of recent changes appeared.
The emerald dress wasn’t the only item with unusual activity.
Several high-value pieces had been marked as damaged, discounted, or removed from inventory.
Over the past six months.
My stomach sank.
“How much?””
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“Almost three million dollars in merchandise.””
The room went silent.
Chloe immediately spoke.
“That’s not me.””
Everyone looked at her.
She shook her head quickly.
“I swear. I only handled the dress.””
“Then why were you the one accusing her?”” Daniel asked.
“I thought she did it.””
“You thought?””
Chloe opened her mouth.
Then closed it.