Chapter 6 - The Secret Beneath the Emerald|
When I returned home, Colin was waiting in the kitchen.
He had prepared coffee.
He had even bought my favorite blueberry muffins.
In my first life, these little gestures had convinced me I was loved.
Now I wondered how much planning went into making a betrayal look like affection.
“Where have you been?” he asked.
“Running errands.”
“With whom?”
I looked at him.
“Since when do you need my itinerary?”
He smiled.
“I'm just worried about you.”
I poured myself coffee.
“That's sweet.”
Colin watched me for a moment.
Then he asked:
“Did Tessa give you the necklace back?”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
“June, that piece is extremely valuable.”
“You mentioned that.”
“I think we should keep it in our safe.”
“Why?”
“Because it was intended for you.”
I leaned against the counter.
“Then I can decide who borrows it.”
Colin set his cup down.
For one brief moment, his polished expression disappeared.
“You're making this unnecessarily difficult.”
I smiled.
“Am I?”
Before he answered, Tessa walked into the kitchen.
She was carrying a small black jewelry pouch.
“Good morning!”
Colin turned immediately.
“Do you have the necklace?”
Tessa frowned.
“Yes. Why?”
“I want to have the clasp checked.”
My heart started pounding.
The clasp.
Again.
Tessa shrugged.
“It works perfectly.”
“Let me see it.”
She pulled the necklace from the pouch.
Colin reached for it.
But she stepped backward.
“Colin, relax. You're acting like it's the Crown Jewels.”
I laughed.
“Maybe he's worried you'll discover a secret compartment.”
The room went silent.
Colin turned toward me.
“What?”
I lifted my coffee cup.
“I'm joking.”
But his face told me I had struck something important.
Tessa looked down at the clasp.
“Actually, there is a weird little seam here.”
Colin stepped forward.
“Give it to me.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
Tessa froze.
His tone had changed completely.
I watched her expression.
For the first time, she seemed to recognize something ugly beneath his charm.
“Wow,” she muttered. “Okay.”
But instead of handing it over, she slipped the necklace back into her pouch.
“I'll have it checked myself.”
Colin stared at her.
Then forced a smile.
“Of course.”
After Tessa left, he turned on me.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
“June.”
I met his eyes.
“Colin.”
For several seconds, we stared at each other.
Then he walked away without another word.
That afternoon, Tessa sent me a photograph of the clasp.
Girl, do you know anything about antique jewelry?
I enlarged the image.
There was a tiny engraved marking beside the latch.
Two letters.
E.S.
Elise Shaw.
Then another message appeared.
Colin just called me six times asking for the necklace.
A third followed.
June, why is your husband so obsessed with getting it back?
I stared at the screen.
For the first time, I realized Tessa might be less informed than I'd believed.
May you like
She was helping Colin destroy me.
But perhaps he had never told her what was hidden inside the necklace.
