Chapter 392: Chapter 392: You’re Not Qualified!
"What does Miss Vaughn think?" Jane Sheridan met Ann Vaughn’s slightly cold gaze without avoiding or dodging, and smiled gracefully, "If Miss Vaughn has done nothing wrong, then a simple check shouldn’t be troublesome, right?"
Those words implied that if Ann Vaughn refused the search, it would mean she was guilty of something.
Ann Vaughn immediately laughed, her slightly raised eyes seemed to capture the twinkle of starlight, dazzling and sharp, "Of course it’s troublesome. To search me, what right do you have?"
That extremely arrogant "What right do you have" left everyone present stunned. They never expected that Ann Vaughn, not yet married into the Sheridan Family, dared to be so bold as to sarcastically retort even the most beloved daughter, Jane Sheridan!
Didn’t she know what reason Jane Sheridan had? She is the legitimate heiress of the Sheridan Family!
For a moment, everyone thought Ann Vaughn’s words were just a result of anger getting the best of her.
Jane Sheridan’s expression slightly faltered, but her rationality quickly calmed her, and she looked at Ann Vaughn reproachfully, "No matter what opinion you have of me, it doesn’t matter, but that necklace is very important to Mrs. Kensington, we’re all eager to find it, and hope you can cooperate a bit."
In an instant, Jane Sheridan’s image as a generous and polite lady intensified in the minds of the people, highlighting Ann Vaughn as arrogant, unreasonable, and ignorant; the contrast could not have been sharper.
"Miss Sheridan is right." The lady referred to as "Mrs. Kensington" by Jane Sheridan had clearly run out of patience, looking at Ann Vaughn with evident displeasure, "No one should be thinking about that necklace."
"May we trouble Miss Vaughn to let us check your bag, even if it is just to ease Mrs. Kensington’s worries?"
Watching Jane Sheridan lower her stance to persuade Ann Vaughn, the crowd’s favorability towards her soared, while Ann Vaughn was looked upon as no less than the culprits themselves.
Just as Ann Vaughn was about to speak, she felt a hand strongly pulling her bag from behind, and before she could snatch it back, it had been pried open!
Crash—
The contents of the bag spilled out all over the floor.
Jane Sheridan glanced over at Ann Vaughn, the corner of her mouth lifted for a moment, then vanished.
Everyone hurriedly searched through the spill for the diamond necklace, but—
It wasn’t there!
The few items in the bag, now spread out on the ground, were plainly visible: a mirror, lipstick, earrings, mints, and a needle case, but no diamond necklace!
Had they gone mad!?
"How, how is it not here!"
"No way? Did she really not steal it? How are we supposed to tidy this up now..."
"So we’ve been used as scapegoats? Where’s the diamond necklace? There’s nothing!"
Upon hearing "she really didn’t steal it," Jane’s expression remained unchanged as she softly asked, "Does the bag have a hidden compartment?"
The Sheridan’s servant standing by immediately picked the bag up off the ground, examined it carefully, and felt through every inch of it...
"Miss, there’s no hidden compartment either!"
Impossible!
Jane’s face turned as she looked at Ann Vaughn, who stood there calm and collected, with a hint of disdain on her pretty face, like she was watching a play...
Could it be that she had already discovered it?
No way, Jane was sure the necklace had been in Ann Vaughn’s bag ever since she entered the venue!
"Looks like Miss Sheridan is disappointed, eager to play the enforcer of justice, but who knew you’d fail just as you started." Ann Vaughn’s red lips spread with a smile captivating enough to enchant the world, "Now can you prove my innocence?"
"Apologies for misunderstanding Miss Vaughn, I was just too hasty in helping Mrs. Kensington retrieve her belongings, unknowingly having you unjustly accused, it really is my fault." Jane lowered her head in apology, her guilty demeanor inciting sympathy.
The crowd, initially having their own doubts, once again began siding with her.
Indeed, it wasn’t Miss Sheridan who initially accused Ann Vaughn, she only wished to alleviate Mrs. Kensington’s concerns, wasn’t likely any underhand schemes, right?
As she felt the crowd’s opinion being swayed back by Jane, Ann Vaughn’s smile deepened.
No doubt Marinia’s top socialite; with a bit of acting sincere, she could have everyone blindly trusting her.
She didn’t respond to Jane’s words, but instead looked at the socialite who had just torn her bag, bright eyes slightly narrowing, "However you dropped it, pick it up. Understand?"
Though Ann Vaughn’s pretty face bore a smile, the socialite saw a terrifying coldness in her eyes that made her shiver.
"Un-understood!"
The socialite immediately squatted down to pick up those items, only to be angrily stopped by her friend beside her, "Don’t pick them up, they’ll dirty your hands!"
"But..."
"No buts!" Her friend held back the socialite, raising her voice and pointing angrily at Ann Vaughn, "We’ve all just met today, is there any need to slander this woman for theft? Without witnessing it yourself, who would accuse her of stealing the diamond necklace?"
"She went to the bathroom and when she came out, she tried to leave when no one noticed, I saw it all!"
Hearing these words, the crowd considered them reasonable, the birthday cake hadn’t even been cut and the Sheridan family’s ’future daughter-in-law’ wanted to leave first, wasn’t this tarnishing the Sheridan’s reputation?
"I guarantee, the item was really on this woman!" The person accusing Ann Vaughn insisted again, "But why the item isn’t in her bag, I’m unclear..."
"Heh, why indeed? Unless... the necklace was hidden somewhere even harder to find, like, inside her clothing!"
Suddenly, all eyes turned uniformly toward Ann Vaughn. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder pale beige gown with a matching coat.
Though there were no pockets, the socialite proposed, it could be hidden within her clothing.
Ann Vaughn glanced sarcastically at the socialite suggesting a body search, "A brain is a good thing, too bad you don’t have one."
"You!"
"You were the ones who said the necklace was in my bag and wanted to search it; couldn’t find anything and then decided to search my body," Ann Vaughn scoffed, "Who knew Marinia’s dogs had such poor sense of smell, but quick to bite."
The socialites, insulted without a single profane word, had varied expressions, glaring at Ann Vaughn with both anger and hatred.
This woman was really calling them dogs?!
"Even in court, solid evidence is required to convict someone. Yet you all thought to label me a thief based on uncertain words..."
"Sorry, you’re not qualified to do so."
The crowd: !!!
What... what an arrogant woman!
Even scouring through every socialite in Marinia, none would be found with such a sharp tongue, audaciously domineering!