“Preserve everything.”
“Freeze Malcolm and Colton’s system access without alerting them.”
“Do not terminate anyone yet.”
“Why?”
“Because if this is inventory theft, I want them using devices we can monitor legally through corporate systems until counsel tells us otherwise.”
Margaret nodded.
“What about stores?”
“Quiet inventory hold.”
“All high-jewelry movement requires dual authorization.”
“Insurance?”
“Notify outside counsel first.”
“Police?”
“Officer Reeves already has probable cause to investigate Lydia’s conduct.”
“He can refer upward.”
Margaret looked toward the bracelet.
“And previous women?”
Arielle became quiet.
“Tasha Freeman.”
“Monique Harris.”
“Jasmine Cole.”
“Yes.”
“We contact them after counsel verifies we are not interfering with criminal review.”
Margaret nodded.
“I’ll call them myself.”
“No.”
Margaret seemed surprised.
“Why?”
“Because you want forgiveness before you have information.”
Margaret stared.
Arielle continued:
“Do not make victims manage your feelings.”
Margaret’s eyes dropped.
“You’re right.”
Arielle said:
“First we understand what happened.”
“Then we approach them with facts, correction, and options.”
Margaret nodded slowly.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“Do not call this a rogue employee situation.”
“We don’t know that yet.”
Margaret looked uncomfortable.
Arielle saw.
“There it is again.”
“What?”
“You want a small circle.”
“Everyone does.”
“Small scandal.”
“Few bad actors.”
“Easy termination.”
“New policy.”
“Press release.”
Margaret frowned.
“You think it’s bigger.”
“I think three separate systems failed.”
“Inventory.”
“Loss prevention.”
“Customer complaints.”
“And somebody knew enough about my travel to warn Malcolm.”
Margaret went pale.
Arielle leaned forward.
“Assume nothing is small until evidence makes it small.”
At 2:04, Malcolm Vane tried to enter Bellrose’s inventory system.
His credentials failed.
At 2:06, he called Elena.
She did not answer.
At 2:08, he called Margaret.
No answer.
At 2:12, he texted Lydia:
LEAVE STORE. DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE.
Police already had her phone.
Daniel read the message.
Arielle smiled without humor.
“Helpful.”
At 2:19, Malcolm called Colton Price.
Corporate telecom logs captured duration.
Forty-three seconds.
At 2:23, Colton attempted to access archived security footage from Bellrose Manhattan.
Denied.
At 2:31, he submitted a remote deletion request for “corrupted legacy files.”
That request required second authorization.
He did not receive it.
At 2:37, he left Bellrose headquarters carrying a laptop bag.
Corporate security stopped him at the elevator.
He refused to surrender the laptop.
Police became involved.
By four, the story had left the boutique.
Not publicly.
Internally.
Executives panicked.
Regional calls.
Lawyers.
Board members.
Insurance counsel.
Arielle sat in a conference room drinking terrible office coffee while Elena paced.
“How bad?”
Elena asked.
Arielle looked toward her.
“You keep asking.”
“I keep hoping the answer changes.”
“It usually changes in the wrong direction.”
Elena stopped.
“I signed the first Freeman incident report.”
Arielle already knew.
“I know.”
Elena’s face tightened.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“I was waiting.”