Chapter 5: Unraveling the Guest List
As the initial shock of the velvet pouch discovery receded, the reality of the locked ballroom set in. Beatriz insisted that every guest remain seated at their respective tables while she conducted her own private inquiry. She moved gracefully from table to table, her eyes searching faces that had practiced their polite smiles for months. Valeria sat heavily at the head table, the diamond necklace resting beside her untouched plate like a cursed relic. Mateo stood behind her chair, his hand resting tentatively on her bare shoulder, though the physical touch lacked its previous warmth. He was replaying every interaction from the past six hours, wondering who among his lifelong friends or extended family could possess such cold malice.
At table three, Sofia busily rearranged her gemstone necklace, her fingers lingering on the clasp with a nervous frequency that did not go unnoticed by Beatriz. When questioned, Sofia scoffed, her voice dripping with defensive aristocracy. She reminded the matriarch of her blood ties and social standing, as if wealth inoculated one against greed. Yet, Beatriz noticed the slight tremor in Sofia’s left hand and the way her husband, a quiet man weighed down by heavy gambling debts, stared intently at the bottom of his empty glass. The investigation was no longer about a maid caught with a bag; it was about a family rotting from the inside out, masking financial ruin and bitter jealousies behind expensive silk and tailored wool.
