Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 30

"I didn't take it! Someone must have slipped it into my bag when I wasn't looking. There are security cameras here. We can just check the footage, and you'll see I'm not lying."

She had planted the ring in Janina's bag in the stairwell, a blind spot where the cameras couldn't see everything clearly.

But the cameras in the living room had a 360-degree view. They would surely have captured the evidence she needed.

She remembered it now. When Janina came downstairs, she had stood very close to her.

That must have been when Janina secretly slipped the ring into her bag.

With this thought, Viola became even more certain that Janina had framed her and insisted they check the security footage.

Janina smirked, waiting for Viola to dig her own grave.

Her fingerprints weren't on the ring. If the police came, it would only further prove her innocence.

Just then, Elena stepped forward and announced that the security cameras had broken a few days ago, and they hadn't had a chance to get someone to fix them.

What a coincidence.

Viola turned to look at Elena, her eyes filled with suspicion.

Yvonne, however, caught on quickly. Elena was trying to smooth things over, to keep the situation from blowing up.

She knew she had to go along with it; she couldn't afford to offend her future mother-in-law.

Yvonne immediately put on a look of sudden realization and turned to Viola.

"Oh, my goodness, what is wrong with my brain? Viola, when I went to change my dress earlier, my hands were a little dirty, so I took off the ring. I was afraid I'd lose it if I left it on the table, so I just slipped it into your bag for safekeeping. I completely forgot until just now."

"I'm so sorry, Viola. It was my mistake. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Yvonne said, grasping Viola's arm.

Viola caught Yvonne's signal and forced a strained smile.

"Oh, is that what happened? It's okay, Yvonne. As long as the ring is found, that's all that matters."

Yvonne then turned to Elena, her face full of apology.

"Ms. Quinn, I'm so sorry. I haven't been feeling well lately, and my memory has been getting worse and worse. This was all a misunderstanding. It was my fault for being so forgetful. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

But in that one glance, Janina saw the warning in his eyes, telling her not to push it any further.

Ignoring his warning, Janina walked towards him.

As she passed him, she let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with contempt and disdain.

She leaned in and whispered, "I can let them go. But you have to sign the divorce papers."

*

For the rest of the party, Janina just ate.

She hadn't had much of an appetite for the past few weeks, but for some reason, tonight she was ravenous. Every dish tasted delicious.

From now on, she would eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She would never neglect herself again.

The party continued until nine o'clock.

Janina had thought that she and Julius would be able to end their relationship on civil terms. But life, it seemed, always had a surprise in store.