Chapter 20

Elysia turned to Elena, realizing she was the best choice among those present.

As Elena offered to help, Emma's heart sank. She and Elena didn't interact much, and it was difficult to understand Elena's thoughts. Emma panicked. "Elena has been supporting Elysia all day," she thought. "If she finds the necklace on me, she'll expose me instantly. What can I do?"

She glanced at Natalie, hoping to pass the necklace to her. But despite Emma's hints, Natalie remained clueless and confused.

Elena noticed Emma remained seated, showing no sign of cooperating. She frowned and said, "Ms. Emma Rosewood, do you not trust me?"

Emma panicked. Natalie was confused by Emma's behavior. Before she could react, Elena strode over, grabbed Emma's bag, and said, "Ms. Emma Rosewood, don't worry. I won't cover for anyone," before rummaging through it.

Emma was on the verge of tears, feeling utterly hopeless. Then, Elena pulled out a blue necklace—the Azure Ocean—from the bag.

Everyone fell silent, shocked. Logically, the necklace should have been in Elysia's bag, as they had planned to frame her. They couldn't understand how it ended up in Emma's bag—a bizarre twist. They gasped quietly, relieved the necklace wasn't in their bags; otherwise, their reputations would have suffered regardless of guilt.

Selena lunged for the necklace, but Elena clutched it tightly. "Ms. Hayes, this necklace isn't yours anymore," she declared, placing it in Elysia's hands.

Natalie could hardly believe her eyes. "No way! How could it be in Emma's bag?"

"Then where else should it be?" Elysia challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Natalie was about to speak when Yolanda cleared her throat, pausing to hold back her words. "Now that the necklace is found, let's wrap this up and never speak of it again," Yolanda suggested, attempting to smooth things over.

Elysia was almost certain Emma and her friends had planned this. She had to admit their acting skills were impressive. If they had found the necklace in her bag, they would have spread rumors; her theft would have become the talk of the town. What a clever and ruthless scheme, she thought.

Once the chaos subsided, Emma and her friends practically fled the café. Being outsmarted by a girl from the countryside was humiliating. The longer they stayed, the more they risked entanglement. Elena had also vanished. Elysia sighed, wishing she could thank her properly.

Elysia looked at the Azure Ocean, a sly smile creeping onto her face. She decided to shake things up, pulling out her phone and dialing Yuna Ward's number.

"Ms. Rosewood," Yuna's cool voice answered.

"I have something for you. I want you to sell it under Arcanum House's name to Lucas Hayes, and then donate the money in his name to the Sunflower Orphanage."

"Yes, Ms. Rosewood."

Elysia had originally planned to donate in the name of the Scented Garden, with Nicole as the representative. However, using the Scented Garden's influence would alert Jack and the other elders. Arcanum House, taking orders only from Elysia, was well-respected in Clusia. While the Scented Garden represented status, Arcanum House was mysterious. Elysia, its head, always wore a mask, her identity unknown.

Elysia had saved Yuna from death years ago. Yuna, around Nicole's age, had a colder demeanor, handling things efficiently and earning Elysia's complete trust. Elysia remembered Yuna's despair when rescued, and took her in to manage Arcanum House.

After hanging up, Elysia overheard a little girl trying to charm a café server. The girl, Alice Rogers, about twelve, had braids and a miniskirt.

"I do have money; I just lost my wallet. Miss, you look so pretty. Could you please let me go back and get my money first?" Alice pleaded.

The server apologetically replied, "I'm sorry. I can't do that. Maybe you could call a family member?"

"But I lost my phone too." Alice looked upset.

The server, though maintaining her smile, muttered, "Is she planning to dine and dash? She looks young but clever."

Alice continued to plead, but the server remained unconvinced. "How about I lend you my phone? You can call someone at home."

Alice lowered her head. "I don't remember the number."

The server was speechless. It wasn't Alice's fault; she'd just returned from Morgan and was dealing with jet lag. Her phone and wallet had been stolen while exploring the area. Feeling terrible, she was now struggling to persuade the server.

"I'll pay for her," Elysia said from behind, catching their attention.

The server hesitated. "Miss, are you sure?"

Elysia nodded, paying with her card. The server quickly accepted it.

Alice looked at Elysia with wide eyes. "You are so beautiful."

Elysia laughed. "Next time, keep an eye on your belongings."

Alice nodded. As the server processed the card, Alice grabbed Elysia's dress. "Could you lend me a little more cash? I don't have enough for a taxi."

The server gave Alice a disapproving glance. Elysia smiled, giving Alice a hundred-dollar bill. "Is this enough?"

Alice nodded happily. "Please wait just a moment." She borrowed a pen and paper, writing on it, "Can you write your phone number here? I promise I'll pay you back."

"No need," Elysia said, turning to leave.

Alice caught up. "What's your name? I'm Alice."

Elysia glanced at her. "Elysia."

"What a beautiful name! Can we be friends?" Alice asked, her eyes shining.