Graham's office had received warnings.
Yet the reports sent to Diana characterized the problems as minor service inconsistencies.
When she learned that, Diana felt a different kind of anger.
It wasn't only directed at Patricia.
It was directed at the organization she'd allowed to develop.
She had built the company around principles that mattered deeply to her.
But somewhere between the first workshop and the flagship boutique, those principles had become words in a handbook rather than standards people were held accountable for following.
And Diana couldn't place all the blame on a manager who'd been rewarded for producing strong sales.
One afternoon, Diana invited several employees to a confidential meeting with an independent workplace investigator.
Participation was voluntary.
The employees were told that retaliation for good-faith reporting would not be tolerated.
Diana didn't attend the individual interviews.
She wanted staff to speak without feeling pressure to praise the CEO or protect the company's reputation.
But afterward, the investigator provided a summary of themes that could be shared appropriately.
The findings were difficult to read.
Employees described pressure to prioritize certain clients based on perceived wealth.
Several said they feared losing shifts if they challenged a manager.
Others reported that training opportunities were distributed inconsistently.
And some believed applicants for the apprenticeship program were discouraged without clear criteria.
Diana sat alone with the report for almost an hour.
Then she called Helena.
"We need more than another training session."
The attorney agreed.
The company needed to examine incentives, reporting procedures, management accountability, and whether the complaints process was genuinely independent of the people being complained about.
Diana nodded.
She thought about the young sales associate who tried to verify her appointment.
The security officer who refused to remove her without understanding what happened.
And Amira, who wouldn't certify a necklace she'd never inspected.
Those employees had done their jobs properly.
Yet the system around them had made correct decisions feel dangerous.
Diana wanted that to change.
The investigation into the necklace finally reached a turning point when the lender produced its custody documentation.
The original First Light had been delivered to a secure storage facility almost two weeks earlier.
The transfer occurred after the suspicious private viewing, not on the afternoon Diana entered the boutique.
The scheduled courier pickup that day was related to a further movement of the collateral documentation and a presentation case.
That explained why Patricia seemed so anxious to keep Diana away from the collection room.
The original had already left Aurelle's controlled custody.
The necklace returned to the boutique had been prepared to resemble it.
And the company's internal records had been altered to create the appearance that the original remained available.