"Sir! Oh my god, sir, I am leaving my office right this second. I am on my way. Do not let them do anything. Put Victoria on the phone immediately!"
"No need for that," Alexander said coolly. "Get here. Now. And bring the police. Call the Economic Crimes division specifically."
He hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and slipped it back into his pocket.
In the store, Victoria was laughing openly. "Who was that? Your fake lawyer? A friend pretending to be a cop? Nice performance. Marcus, get him out."
Alexander bypassed the guard with a sudden, fluid motion born of old martial arts training. He stepped past the velvet ropes and stood directly in front of the multi-million-dollar display case.
"Hey! Stop him!" Victoria yelled, her voice pitching into panic.
At that exact moment, the heavy oak door to the private viewing room clicked open. Eleanor walked out, her auburn hair still perfect, a smug smile on her face as she casually sipped from a crystal flute of champagne. She stopped dead in her tracks, taking in the chaotic scene of the scruffy man standing inches from their most prized possession.
"Victoria, what in god's name is this peasant doing near the Elysium?" Eleanor demanded, her eyes flashing with anger.
"He's the father of the rat from earlier," Victoria sneered, moving to block Alexander's path. "We're throwing him out right now."
"Wait," Alexander commanded. The sheer, overwhelming authority in his voice, practiced over decades of dominating hostile boardrooms, froze the room instantly. Even the hulking security guards stopped in their tracks.
He leaned in close, looking meticulously at the necklace. He studied the way the boutique's custom lighting hit the facets. He examined the way the blue sapphires sat within the platinum prong settings. A terrible, dark realization began to dawn on him. The paternal rage over his daughter's mistreatment was suddenly eclipsed by a CEO's realization of something far more sinister and damaging.
"Eleanor, is it?" Alexander asked, not taking his eyes off the glittering jewels. "Tell me, how long has this specific store been operating at a massive loss?"
Eleanor blinked rapidly, clearly caught off guard by the business terminology. "What are you talking about? We exceed our sales quota every single quarter."
"Do you?" Alexander smiled. It was a chilling, joyless expression that didn't reach his eyes. "Then why is the Star of Elysium sitting in this case a fake?"
Chapter 5: The Shattering
Absolute silence descended upon the grand showroom. The soft classical music playing in the background seemed to mock the sudden, suffocating tension.
Victoria swallowed hard, her haughty face draining of all color. "Excuse me? How dare you—"
"My late wife designed this piece," Alexander said softly, his voice echoing in the quiet room. "I watched her cut the primary teardrop diamond herself over a period of three months. I know exactly how many microscopic, near-invisible inclusions are located in the bottom left facet. I know the exact weight and density of the platinum chain."