Chapter 12

"This necklace was in the trash earlier, Mr. Carter. Ms. Johnson had thrown it away. Do you want to take a look?" The household staff's voice pulled Oliver out of his heavy thoughts. His gaze fell on the necklace in her hand, and his heart gave a painful jolt. It was the birthday gift he'd given Cynthia. Why would she throw it away? Could it be… He staggered out of bed and rushed to the study to pull up the surveillance footage from the villa. As the video played, he saw Cynthia at the study door that day, holding a cup of fruit juice while he was laughing and video-chatting with his friends. All color drained from his face. She knew. She had known all along. Oliver pounded his chest in regret as the memory of Cynthia's recent unusual behavior flashed vividly before his eyes. The woman who had always been reserved and kept to herself had started going out with excuses—coffee and errands, among others. She'd become distant, resistant to his touch. There were moments when she