Chapter 3: Framed and Fractured
The following evening, the Vance estate hosted a private dinner for high-profile investors. Victoria had insisted Leo attend, claiming it was an effort to "get to know him," though Maya suspected an ulterior motive.
Leo felt entirely out of place in a tailored suit that felt too tight, surrounded by wealthy elites who talked about stocks and luxury yachts. Julian made it a point to subtly humiliate him throughout the evening, making backhanded comments about "the plight of the homeless" and "sudden fortune hunters."
"So, Leo," Julian raised his glass loudly, drawing the attention of the entire dinner table. "Tell us, what skills does one acquire after ten years on the streets? I imagine picking locks or finding hidden valuables must come in handy."
A few investors chuckled uncomfortably. Maya slammed her fork down, her eyes flashing with anger. "Julian, that is enough!"
"I learned how to tell who is real and who is wearing a mask," Leo replied calmly, staring directly at Julian. "On the streets, a snake doesn't wear a suit. It makes it much easier to avoid them."
Julian’s smile tightened, his eyes turning murderous. "Fascinating."
Later that night, after the guests had departed, a piercing scream echoed from Victoria’s master bedroom. Maya and Leo rushed down the hallway to find Victoria standing by her vanity, her face pale, surrounded by several maids.
"It's gone!" Victoria cried out hysterically as Julian ran into the room. "The Romanov Emerald necklace! It’s been in the Vance family for generations. It’s worth three million dollars!"
"Victoria, calm down. When did you last see it?" Julian asked, turning a calculated glance toward Leo, who was standing at the doorway.
"It was right here in my jewelry box before dinner," Victoria sobbed. "Someone must have taken it during the party."
"Well, the guests are all prominent billionaires, so it’s highly unlikely to be them," Julian said, stepping slowly toward Leo. "But we do have someone in the house who is accustomed to desperate measures to survive."
"Are you accusing my brother?" Maya stepped in front of Leo, her voice trembling with rage. "This is absurd! He hasn't left my sight most of the evening."
"Except for the twenty minutes before dinner when he claimed he was looking for the restroom," Julian countered sharply. He turned to the security guards standing in the hallway. "Search his room. Now."
"You have no right!" Maya protested, but Victoria barked an order to proceed.
Maya and Leo followed the guards into Leo's guest room. The head guard began tossing the pillows and flipping the mattress. Leo stood silently, a sinking feeling forming in his stomach. He looked at Julian, who was leaning against the doorframe with a triumphant grin.
Suddenly, the guard reached deep into the pocket of Leo’s old canvas backpack, which was sitting in the closet. He pulled out a heavy, glittering platinum necklace adorned with a massive, deep-green emerald.
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
"No..." Maya gasped, shaking her head. "No, this is a setup! Leo would never do this!"
"The evidence speaks for itself, Maya," Julian said coldly, pulling out his phone. "I’m calling the police. It seems your long-lost brother is nothing more than a common thief."
"Maya, I swear to you, I didn't touch it," Leo said, his voice raw with betrayal. "I don't even know what that is."
Before Maya could defend him, the medical lab’s courier arrived at the front door, delivering a sealed envelope containing the DNA results. Victoria snatched it from the courier and tore it open in front of everyone.
"And look at this," Victoria mocked, holding up the paper. "The DNA compatibility is zero percent. He isn't your brother, Maya. He’s an impostor who targeted you to rob us blind."
Maya stared at the paper, her world spinning. She looked at the negative result, then at the emerald, and then into Leo’s desperate, honest eyes. Deep in her heart, she knew the paperwork was a lie, but the trap had snapped shut perfectly.
"Get him out of my sight," Victoria ordered the guards. "Throw him into the street where he belongs. If he ever steps foot on this property again, the police will be waiting."
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Leo was brutally dragged out of the mansion into the pouring rain, his jacket thrown after him. Maya tried to run after him, but Julian grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"Let me go!" she screamed, slapping Julian across the face. "I know what you did! I will find the truth, and I will destroy both of you!"
