Mark turned away from the screen and walked slowly back to the center of the silent, shocked room.
He looked at Victoria with cold disappointment, his arms crossed tightly across his chest as guests stared.
Mark: Care to explain why your precious necklace is resting safely inside your red leather clutch bag right now?
Victoria opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out as she fumbled frantically with her purse straps.
She unzipped the bag with shaking fingers, and the heavy diamond necklace tumbled out onto the marble floor.
It landed with a sharp metallic clatter, glittering mockingly under the bright lights of the crystal chandeliers.
The guests shook their heads in absolute disgust, turning their backs on Victoria as whispering filled the hall.
Guest 5: How disgraceful to humiliate a poor pregnant woman just to create dramatic attention for yourself!
Guest 6: I will never attend another event in this house again after witnessing such appalling behavior.
Victoria stood frozen in the middle of the hall, her social reputation ruined in front of the city's elite.
She picked up her fallen purse and ran out of the grand ballroom, sobbing loudly in deep humiliation.
Mark ignored her departure and bent down gently to help Elena stand up from the cold marble floor.
Mark: I am so deeply sorry for what you had to go through tonight, Elena.
Elena: Thank you for standing up for me, sir. I did not know what was going to happen to me.
Mark: You are completely safe now, and you will never have to work under such cruel conditions again.
Mark offered her his clean coat to wrap around her shivering shoulders, walking her safely toward the quiet lobby.