This left no doubt—they hadn’t returned after leaving, and the crown had still been in the display case when they departed.

Yet confusion lingered among the crowd. If Katelyn hadn’t taken the crown, who had?

Hilary’s face grew darker by the second. If Katelyn was cleared of suspicion, he’d be left responsible for billions in compensation—a staggering sum that could cripple his businesses. The crown’s current value was estimated at an astounding seventy billion. Such an enormous sum would devastate any businessman. For Hilary, paying this amount would mean halting all his operations in Yata. Without the necessary working capital, it would deal a fatal blow to his ventures.

Ryanna, standing nearby, glanced at Hilary, her expression growing tense. Seeing his grim demeanor, an uneasy thought crept into her mind. Even if her uncle harbored resentment toward Katelyn, he would also blame her.

The murmurs of the onlookers grew louder.

“Could it really not have been Katelyn? The footage shows the crown was there when she entered and when she left,” someone remarked in disbelief.

“But if it wasn’t her, then who? This is so bizarre,” another added, frowning in puzzlement.

Meanwhile, Fiona’s expression hardened. The fact that Katelyn had restored power to the floor after the outage had caught her off guard. She’d underestimated her opponent.

Her lips thinned into a sharp line as she glared at Katelyn.

“This only proves she didn’t take the crown herself,” Fiona said icily.

“But she claimed she would find the thief. If she doesn’t, she’ll owe billions in compensation.”

The weight of Fiona’s words hung in the air. Whether Katelyn had stolen the crown or not no longer mattered—what mattered now was finding the real culprit.

Hilary gave Fiona a brief glance. Though he didn’t approve of her tone, her words offered him some reassurance. Billions were not a sum he could easily lose.

Katelyn turned to Fiona, her gaze sharp and unyielding, as if cutting straight through Fiona’s resolve.

A shiver ran down Fiona’s spine. Without realizing it, she stepped back, seeking refuge behind Ryanna.

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Ryanna frowned slightly but maintained her composure. Her expression remained calm as she addressed Katelyn, her tone laced with concern, “Miss Bailey, can you identify who took my crown?”

Katelyn studied Ryanna carefully. Despite the circumstances, Ryanna had remained remarkably composed. Was this the poise of a princess, or was there something more sinister behind her calm exterior? Her curiosity about Ryanna deepened.

“Yes,” Katelyn replied with a nod.

Ryanna’s eyes lit up with relief.

“Truly? Please, tell me who it was. I need them to return it immediately,” she said, stepping closer to Katelyn.

The surveillance footage continued to roll. The room fell into a tense silence as everyone waited for the video to reveal the truth.

Katelyn projected the footage onto a larger screen, ensuring no one missed a single detail.

The room collectively held its breath, anticipation mounting with every passing second.

Hilary leaned forward, his focus unshakable. Whoever the thief was, they would face the full force of his wrath.

Then, a sudden cracking noise echoed from the video. The atmosphere grew even more charged. The truth was finally about to be revealed.

However, the sharp image on the screen flickered once before dissolving into a chaotic blur of black and white. Within seconds, the screen plunged into total darkness.

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