The heavy silence that followed Warren West’s frantic, undignified admission hung over the table like a shroud. The revelation that he had attempted to pass off a five-thousand-dollar piece of glass as a legendary masterpiece was a social death sentence for his reputation, but for Serena Montgomery, it was a confusing emotional earthquake.
Daphne Davenport, the Davenport Heiress, slowly let go of the pendant. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes sparkling with an intensity that bordered on predatory. As a true specialist whose family ruled the gemstone markets of Manhattan, she knew she wasn't looking at glass. She was looking at a miracle.
"Well," Daphne sighed, her voice regaining its smooth, aristocratic cadence. She offered a small, dismissive wave of her hand toward the silent pho
