She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 767

Hearing exactly what the clerks had said, Giselle was furious. Fire danced in her clear eyes. "The absolute bare minimum in customer service is respect, regardless of what someone is wearing! You're just employees hired to look after these stones. Who gave you the right to act like you're the jewels in the case, looking down on everyone else?"

The words hit a nerve, shattering the clerks' fragile vanity. Their faces turned entirely rigid.

Giselle grabbed Loyce's arm. "Let's go. A place that operates like this is going to go bankrupt anyway."

Just as they reached the door, the first clerk subtly slipped the ring into her pocket and shouted in a shrill voice, "Stop! You can't leave!"

Loyce turned back, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

The clerk puffed out her chest. "I'm sorry, but the ring you just tried on is missing."

Loyce's gaze turned icy. Switching flawlessly to Spanish, she asked, "Are you accusing us of stealing?"

"You can either hand it over right now or pay for it," the clerk threatened. "Otherwise, we're calling the police."

And just like that, because of the clerks' bruised egos and a lost commission, the two of them were detained inside the jewelry store.

When the police arrived, the clerks immediately launched into their story, claiming the girls were refusing to cooperate. When the officers asked to see the security footage, the clerk feigned helplessness. "Unfortunately, our cameras happen to be down today. That's why we need your help recovering the ring."

Since Loyce and Giselle maintained their innocence, the two officers turned to them. "We need you to cooperate. Take off your clothes; we need to conduct a strip search."

Outside, a crowd had gathered, watching the scene with a mix of curiosity and disdain. Nightingale, who had been waiting outside, realized things were escalating. She walked into the store.

The moment the officers spotted her concealed weapon, they drew their guns. "Are you an accomplice?"

Not wanting Giselle to get caught in a firefight, Loyce subtly signaled for Nightingale to back off.

Giselle was shaking with rage and humiliated panic. "This is completely out of line!"

"It's fine," Loyce said, stepping in front of her. She faced the officers, her expression perfectly calm, though her eyes were freezing cold. "I highly suggest you reconsider. This is going to cause you a lot of trouble. The clerks are making this up. If you want the truth, you should be searching them."

"Trouble?" One of the officers sneered, reaching out to grab Loyce's arm. "Listen, little lady, we run things around here. You either strip for the search, or we take you in for theft and obstructing justice."

The doors flew open, and seven or eight heavily built men in tactical gear poured out, their faces devoid of emotion, compact submachine guns gripped tightly in their hands.

The leader, a massive, bald man with dead eyes, kicked the glass door open. The warning chime above it shattered under the force. He strode inside, locked eyes with Loyce and Giselle, offered a curt nod, and then turned his chilling gaze to the now-paralyzed clerks and police officers.

"The Boss sends his regards," the bald man announced, his voice like a death sentence.

"C-Costa..." One of the officers dropped his baton, the color draining entirely from his face.

There wasn't a soul in this district who didn't know what the name "the Costa family" meant.

They were the absolute rulers of the underground, holding the power of life and death.

Loyce looked at the clerks, who were now leaning against the counter just to stay on their feet, gazing at them like they were bugs on the pavement.

The roles had just reversed.