Everyone thought Lucia was the thief because she was wearing a maid's uniform… until Mateo spoke up and said he had seen the real person hiding the necklace.

"Take her away immediately," Valeria commanded, flipping her wrist dismissively toward the police officers as if she were discarding useless trash. "I do not want to look at her deceitful face for a single minute longer in my home."

Lucía felt the room spinning violently around her, the edges of her vision turning dark and fuzzy.

"Please..." she begged one last, desperate time, her knees buckling slightly under the emotional weight.

The taller officer tugged her forward, his voice gruff and unsympathetic.

"Come on, miss. Keep moving towards the door."

It was in that exact, desperate, terrifying moment that a small, unexpected voice cut through the heavy, oppressive atmosphere of the grand hall. At first, it was barely more than a tremulous, frightened whisper.

"She didn't steal it."

Because of the murmuring crowd, almost nobody heard him clearly. Valeria slightly turned her head, looking down at her young nephew with a look of mild, patronizing annoyance.

"Mateo, darling, go play upstairs. Do not get involved in complicated adult matters."

But the young boy did not retreat into the safety of the shadows. Instead, he took a bold, definitive step forward out into the open space of the expansive marble floor. He took a deep, shuddering breath, filling his small, trembling lungs, and spoke again. This time, his voice shook with undeniable fear, but it rang out with astonishing, piercing clarity.

"She did not steal it!"

The entire grand hall froze instantly, as if plunged into ice. The wealthy guests stopped whispering mid-sentence. The police officers paused mid-step, looking down at the small boy in confusion. Lucía slowly lifted her heavy head, her tear-streaked face a portrait of utter confusion and fragile, desperate hope.

Valeria’s cold, triumphant smile faltered for a mere fraction of a second, quickly replaced by a tight, forced expression of faux maternal concern.

"Mateo, you are just nervous," she said, her voice dripping with a sickly sweet, manipulative tone. "You saw the police officers and you got scared. It's perfectly okay."

The young boy shook his head vigorously, his dark hair falling wildly over his forehead.

"No."

Valeria took a step toward him, her eyes narrowing.

"Go find your grandmother right now."