Chatper 18


    Chapter 18


    Natalie took a few seconds to think, her expression betraying no sign of panic, as she stared straight at


    Gracia and asked softly. “You said you polished the bracelet justst night before you went to sleep?”


    “Yes.” Gracia sniffled, responding with a tone of injury.


    Natalie couldn’t help but derisively chuckle, waving her smartphone at the others and saying. “That’s


    what Gracia imed. Got it all on record.”


    “What’s there to be afraid of if she’s telling the truth?” Lydia was utterly baffled.


    Natalie sneered, ignoring Lydia, and pointed toward the staircase where there was a security camera.


    “This house is under surveince 24/7, right?”


    “Of course!” Lydia snapped back icily. They only had a camera at the staircase. It couldn’t capture the


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    hallway here. Lydia and Gracia had prearranged their story, confident in the absence of evidence,


    allowing them to smear Natalie.


    Natalie went straight to the servant and requested the surveince footage from twenty minutes earlier.


    She fast–forwarded the timeline and paused at the frame where she was ascending the stairs, showing


    it to Samuel.


    Holding back his rage, Samuel asked. “And? Your point?”


    “I didn’te homest night, as everyone is well aware, right?” Natalie asked Samuel a faint smile


    ying on her lips.


    “How dare you!” Samuel’s face grew darker. He was about to confront Natalie about where she went


    after leavingst night’s dinner party. The Foster family hade over, making a scene all night until


    dawn!


    It was the cause of Matthew’s furious outburst!


    “So, fromst night until a moment ago, I only came upstairs this once.” Natalie continued.


    “And, before I came up, my dear sister was already in her room, right? And she would know whether I


    went in there, right?”


    Samuel hesitated before turning to look at Gracia.


    “I…” Gracia was flustered.


    Neither she nor Lydia had considered these details. And they thought they could easily use Natalie


    if they didn’t have cameras in the hallway!


    “Tell me. Did I enter your room just now?” Natalie’s gaze became piercing as she stared down Gracia


    and demanded an answer.


    Gracia was cornered, speechless, as ayer of cold sweat formed on her forehead.


    N


    Chapter 18


    “Piper, when you came earlier, did you see me in Ms. Gracia’s room?” Natalie turned to question Piper,


    who stood to the side.


    “L… I don’t know,” Piper avoided Natalie’s eyes, her voice small.


    “You don’t know? Well, I do.” With that, Natalie turned and returned to her room, picking up herptop


    from the bed andunching a hidden program, a built–in surveince system on her


    The footage showed Natalie entering her room, sitting on the bed to organize her luggage, and making


    phone calls the entire time..


    The timestamp on Natalie’s room camera matched perfectly with the corridor surveince.


    After reviewing both pieces of evidence, Samuel was speechless. The answer was clear Gracia had


    framed Natalie!


    “Gracia!” Samuel’s face turned a shade of thunderous blue as he red at Gracia standing behind him,


    “What’s the meaning of this?!”


    “Do you realize how important this bracelet is? It’s the Howard family’s most treasured heirloom and


    Tawanna Howard’s most precious legacy! You were supposed to wear it to Nate’s birthday party at the


    Howard mansion in a few days! How am I supposed to exin this to the Howard family?!”


    Gracia thought there would be no hitches if she and Piper insisted it was Natalie’s doing. But she had


    never considered that Natalie’sputer would be monitoring everything!


    “Dad…” Gracia panicked. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stammered, “I’m sorry I lied. I don’t know


    when the bracelet broke. I thought Natalie did it out of jealousy, so I jumped to conclusions and med


    her.”