Everyone Can Hear My Thoughts, and Now They're Panicking

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Miss Lancaster, Your Necklace

"It’s not for sale." Pauline Shaw stepped forward, her protective stance obvious.

"You don’t get a say in this." Beverly Lynch retorted, then turned her gaze to Jane Lancaster.

Jane Lancaster quickly tried to smooth things over. "Since Jim Jenson said it’s not for sale, then I suppose it isn’t."

After a pause, she reassured the anxious-looking Luna Morgan, "Just keep wearing it. It’s beautiful, and it suits you."

Luna Morgan looked at her, nodded, and let out a soft "mhm."

She hadn’t wanted to fight for it, but after what Miss Lancaster said, she decided to summon her courage and try.

"I’ll take good care of it. Thank you, Miss Lancaster." She touched the necklace and smiled. It was a smile that was both resilient and tragically beautiful, like a flower blooming from stone.

’Pauline Shaw breathed an inward sigh of relief. She’d suspected there would be trouble if Jane Lancaster recognized the necklace, but thankfully, nothing had happened.’

Suddenly, a commotion erupted up ahead. Pauline Shaw looked up to see the event organizer approaching with several people in tow.

It looked like they were heading for their group...

"Miss Morgan, this necklace has been sold. Please take it off," the organizer said, coming to a halt.

Pauline Shaw couldn’t believe it. ’Sold? When did that happen?!’

Without waiting for Luna Morgan to react, the organizer donned a pair of white gloves, removed the necklace, cleaned it with a special tool, and then placed it in its box.

Luna Morgan felt the emptiness on her neck. Without the necklace to adorn her, she felt as if she herself had lost her luster.

She glanced at the necklace in the box. There was admiration in her eyes, and a hint of longing, but not greed.

’It was never meant to be hers, anyway.’

Willow Summers chuckled. "That necklace is so expensive. I might not be worthy of it, but at least I know my place."

’She was still stewing over Jim Jenson’s challenge and naturally took it out on Luna Morgan.’

’That pathetic pauper. All she knows is how to seduce men. Who does she think she is, trying to get one over on me?’

She shot Luna Morgan a disdainful look, walking forward and reaching for the box. "Mandy, I’ll put the necklace away for you."

But her hand grabbed empty air.

Beverly Lynch’s expression soured. "I wasn’t the one who bought it."

’She’d been just about to arrange the purchase, but someone had beaten her to the punch.’

Pauline Shaw frowned. "You didn’t buy it? Beverly Lynch, since when are you so sneaky about grabbing what you want?"

"I said it wasn’t me, and it wasn’t!" Beverly Lynch was fuming. "I’m starting to wonder if you’re behind this! Trying to set me up? Are you looking to die?"

In the next instant, her eyes widened as she watched the organizer present the necklace to Jane Lancaster. "Miss Lancaster, your necklace."

Pauline Shaw’s head snapped up to look at Jane Lancaster.

Even Luna Morgan couldn’t help but stare at Jane Lancaster in astonishment.

Jane Lancaster paused for a moment, but didn’t say anything more. Instead, she calmly instructed, "Mama Knight, put it away."

’I can’t believe the Heart of Diamond ended up in my hands after all.’

’Then again, this is a crucial prop for my engagement party. It’s only natural that it would end up with me.’

Pauline Shaw’s heart sank.

’Of course. She knew. She knew all along this necklace would be hers!’

’So she was planning to wear this necklace to her engagement party all along? Then why did she say all that to Luna Morgan earlier?’

’Was she mocking Luna Morgan for overreaching, for daring to compete with her?’

’No wonder she stared at the necklace for so long. No wonder her first move was to pressure Jim Jenson into leaving.’

’So, was this all part of her plan?’

[Beep. Change in affinity detected. Disgust Value +3]

—

’Today’s trip was absolutely worth it,’ Jane Lancaster thought. ’So worth it. Incredibly, stupendously worth it!’

’In the original story, she would have attended this jewelry exhibition alone, gotten into a bidding war with Beverly Lynch, and spent a fortune to win the Heart of Diamond.’

’But now, not only had she encountered Pauline Shaw and Luna Morgan and racked up a ton of Disgust Value, but she’d also gotten the Heart of Diamond without spending a single cent!’

Inside the private room, Jane Lancaster asked, "Pauline, you seem a little down. What’s wrong?"

Pauline Shaw’s expression was frosty. "Why would you think that? I couldn’t be happier for you."

Luna Morgan, her neck now bare, had followed them into the room.

Without the necklace, she seemed to have lost some of her radiance.

Jane Lancaster found the sight unsettling. "Luna, why don’t you take the necklace and wear it for now?"

Luna Morgan’s spine instantly stiffened. "No, no, Miss Lancaster! I can’t possibly wear it!"

’She was smart enough to guess the occasion where the necklace would next appear. How could she have the nerve to wear it now?’

’The clearer this became, the more bitter she felt, and a sense of longing for the necklace—an object she hadn’t cared for before—began to grow.’

She forced herself to look away, to stop staring at the necklace, lest anyone think she coveted another’s possessions.

"Miss Lancaster, may I have a word with you in private?"

’She’s here about Mrs. Everett, just as I thought.’ Jane Lancaster knew at once.

’The heroine, who wasn’t supposed to show up in this ’instance’, has suddenly appeared. It can only be because I changed the plot, forcing her to seek me out.’

"Alright, let’s talk outside." Jane Lancaster stood up and walked out.

—

Seeing Luna Morgan follow Jane Lancaster out, Pauline Shaw paused in thought for a moment before heading out as well.

The first thing she did was call Alvin Lancaster.

Alvin Lancaster’s assistant answered, saying Alvin was in a meeting and couldn’t take the call.

The assistant knew Pauline Shaw well. Pauline asked, feigning nonchalance, "Is Mrs. Everett around? I have something I need to ask her."

"Mrs. Everett?" the assistant replied. "I haven’t seen her today."

"Are you sure?" Pauline Shaw tightened her grip on her phone.

"Positive. Every time we have a meeting at the Lancaster estate, Mrs. Everett always personally makes us snacks. But there weren’t any today..."

Pauline Shaw pressed her lips together. She didn’t have the phone numbers for any of the Lancaster family’s staff, neither Mama Knight’s nor Mrs. Everett’s.

Her old phone had them, of course, but when she got a new one, she had instinctively resisted saving the numbers of the Lancaster staff.

’So where in the world did Mrs. Everett go?’

—

"Alright, we can talk here," Jane Lancaster said, stopping in her tracks.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw a figure dart away.

Luna Morgan didn’t notice, choosing her words carefully. "Miss Lancaster, I came to apologize. It was my idea for the driver, Chandler, to not be on duty at night..."

Seeing Jane Lancaster’s calm expression, her own breath grew ragged.

"You already knew... I’m so sorry. I truly didn’t mean to cause you harm. I didn’t realize how serious the consequences would be."

Jane Lancaster’s expression was gentle. "It’s fine. You didn’t know the full situation. It had nothing to do with you."

’In truth, she had already guessed that Luna Morgan had a hand in this.’

’Mrs. Everett always likes to use others to achieve her own ends. Luna Morgan was probably just another one of her pawns.’

"No, it’s my fault, and I should take responsibility. Miss Lancaster, your health is fragile, and you might need a car at any moment. I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous."

Luna Morgan lowered her head in a bow. "I’m sorry."

Jane Lancaster sighed. "Alright, I accept your apology. But no harm was done, so you don’t need to beat yourself up over it."

"Mrs. Everett knew exactly what she was doing, but you’re not to blame for what you don’t know. Don’t worry about it. We’ll leave it at that."

She wanted to drop the subject.