Chapter 147
Rachel bit her lower lip. To get to the bottom of this necklace's mystery, she needed to dig into what went down between the Williams and Brown families over twenty years ago.
Asking the Browns directly was definitely a no-go. They'd probably just clam up. So, she had to do some sleuthing on her own.
"Got it, thanks. Can you clean this necklace for me?" Rachel asked with a smile.
The store manager nodded. "Sure thing." She handed the necklace to a sales associate nearby to get it cleaned.
The cleaning was quick; Rachel waited less than two minutes before it was done. She bought a pair of earrings and headed out.
Not long after she left, Charlotte walked into the store. The store manager greeted her personally, "Ms. Lewis, the bracelet you ordered is here. I'll grab it for you."
"Okay." Charlotte nodded with a faint smile.
The store manager opened the safe and took out a bracelet encrusted with gemstones. "Ms. Lewis, take a look. Happy with it?"
Charlotte picked up the bracelet and examined it, her smile widening. "Not bad. I'll put it on right now."
The store manager offered, "Let me help you."
"No need, I got it," Charlotte declined and put it on herself. The store manager didn't push and kept smiling.
Then the store manager noticed the necklace around Charlotte's neck and said, "Ms. Lewis, I've heard Miss Brown is very beautiful. I just saw her, and she really is stunning. Plus, her eyes look just like yours."
Hearing the store manager praise her daughter, Charlotte's smile grew even brighter. "Thanks for the compliment. Did Mandy just come by?"
'Mandy must be her daughter's name.' The store manager nodded. "Yeah, she came to ask about a necklace. It's weird she didn't know her necklace and the one you're wearing are a mother-daughter set."
Hearing this, the bracelet Charlotte was about to put on fell onto the counter with a crisp clink. The store manager's face showed a flash of concern as she quickly picked up the bracelet to check for any damage.
"What did you just say? Mandy brought a necklace to ask you about it?" Charlotte asked urgently, staring at the store manager.
The store manager, puzzled by her reaction, nodded. "Yes."
"That's impossible!" Charlotte shook her head repeatedly.
That necklace was given to Grace by her and Ethan, and it disappeared with Grace's death. How could Mandy have it? So the person asking about the necklace couldn't be Mandy. Could it be Grace? Could Grace still be alive?
The thought of this possibility made Charlotte grab the store manager's hand tightly, her emotions running high. "You said the girl's eyes looked a lot like mine, right?"
"Yes, almost identical," the store manager replied, forcing a smile as she looked at her reddened hand.
Charlotte's eyes instantly reddened, and tears fell. She muttered, "It's Grace; it must be Grace. Grace is still alive. Where is that girl now?" Her voice trembled as she asked.
The store manager replied, "She already left, but she hasn't been gone long. She might still be in the mall."
As soon as she finished speaking, Charlotte rushed out of the store without even taking her bag, searching the mall for the girl who might be her eldest daughter.
However, Charlotte searched the entire mall but couldn't find the girl with that necklace and eyes like hers. Then Charlotte returned to the DT store, looking despondent.
The store manager handed her a cup of hot water. "Ms. Lewis, did you find her?"
Charlotte shook her head, looking disappointed. "No."
"Don't lose hope. Since she's in Summit Ridge District, I'm sure you'll run into her eventually," the store manager tried to comfort her.
Even though the store manager didn't know who this Grace was, it was clear from Charlotte's reaction that they were very close.
"Thank you." Charlotte forced a smile, then took out her card to pay, grabbed the bracelet, and hurried back to the Brown family.
"Honey!" Charlotte called as she entered the house.
Ethan came down from upstairs. "Weren't you shopping at the mall? Why are you back so soon?"
"Honey, Grace is still alive," Charlotte said excitedly, looking at Ethan as he came down the stairs.
Ethan almost slipped, saying, "What?" He grabbed the railing, staring at Charlotte in shock.
Charlotte clasped her hands tightly together. "Grace is still alive. Our eldest daughter is still alive."
"That's nonsense." Ethan frowned, continuing down the stairs. "You must have encountered another scammer. Over the years, there have been many scammers claiming our daughter is still alive; in fact, they just want to swindle money."
"This time is different. That girl had the necklace." Charlotte quickly took out the necklace around her neck and said, "The store manager told me that a girl had the daughter's necklace and went to DT to inquire about it. She also said that her eyes look just like mine. Ethan, my intuition tells me that the girl the store manager mentioned is Grace."
Ethan was stunned. "But how is that possible? We saw Henry drown Grace with our own eyes."
"We did see it, but later the police told us they never recovered Grace's body. Maybe Grace didn't die when she was thrown into the river and was saved by someone downstream. Then how else can you explain a girl with eyes like mine appearing with the daughter's necklace?" Charlotte said, clutching the necklace.
Ethan rubbed his forehead. "I need a moment to process this."
"Dad, Mom, what are you talking about?" Mandy came down the stairs, curious about her parents' unusual behavior.
Charlotte grabbed Mandy. "Mandy, your sister isn't dead. She's still alive."
"What?" Mandy was initially stunned, then her eyes widened. She asked, "Mom, are you saying Grace isn't dead?"
"Yes, she's not dead. She's in Stellaria," Charlotte nodded excitedly.
Mandy lowered her eyes, filled with malice. Grace being alive was truly shocking.
Seeing how happy Charlotte was, it seemed she was planning to bring Grace back. If that happened, Charlotte's attention would be solely on Grace, leaving no room for her.
No, she couldn't let Grace come back. If Grace returned, her inheritance, the Brown family's assets, and her parents' love would all be divided. She couldn't let that happen.
Mandy bit her lower lip and forced a smile. "That's wonderful, Mom. Where is Grace now?" She needed to find out Grace's whereabouts and get rid of her before her parents could.
Charlotte's eyes dimmed at Mandy's question and said, "I only found out today that your sister is still alive, but I don't know where she is yet."
"I see." Mandy nodded, frowning.
She wondered if her parents had been scammed. But whether it was a scam or not, she needed to get to the bottom of it. If the news of Grace being alive was false, then there was no problem. If it was true, she had to get rid of Grace as she had no feelings for this so-called sister.
Thinking this, Mandy asked, "Mom, how did you find out that Grace is still alive?"
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