Chapter 1
The heavy silence inside the modern living room felt like a suffocating blanket crushing every bystander present.
Maya stood unmoving beside her olive green couch, her posture rigid as she stared down her former friend.
Veronica stepped back, her hand clutching the silver chain necklace against her red leather trench coat as panic surged.
"That security video is a fake, Maya!" Veronica stammered, her voice cracking as her face turned pale.
"You altered the footage using digital tools to set me up!"
Maya slowly pulled up the sleeves of her olive green hoodie, exposing her forearm with calm, terrifying authority.
"The server is hosted on a secure cloud network with an unalterable timestamp, Veronica," Maya stated quietly.
"Every single bystander in this room saw you pocket that hard drive two hours ago."
The young men standing near the kitchen island exchanged horrified glances, whispering among themselves in disbelief.
"I can't believe Veronica tried to frame Maya," one of the bystanders muttered, shaking his head.
"She came in here screaming and pointing fingers just to cover her own tracks."
Veronica looked frantically around the room, her eyes searching for an ally among the silent crowd.
"Marcus, tell her!" Veronica pleaded, pointing a trembling finger at a tall man in streetwear.
"You were with me in the hallway! You know I didn't take anything!"
Marcus stepped away from her, crossing his arms with a cold, disgusted glare.
"Don't bring me into your lies, Veronica," Marcus snapped back firmly.
"The TV screen showed you stealing the drive with your own hands."
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Maya pointed her index finger straight toward the front exit, her gaze unwavering and fierce.
"Get out of my house. Now," Maya repeated, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere like steel.
