Just as Clara finished freshening up and reentered the ballroom, Lori suddenly clutched her neck with a sharp gasp. "Oh no!"
"My necklace!" she cried out, her voice trembling.
James was at her side in an instant, his brow furrowed with concern. "What's wrong with your necklace?"
Lori stammered, frantic, "It's gone! The one you gave me for my twentieth birthday—it never leaves my neck! It was right here moments ago!"
She'd worn that priceless piece tonight specifically to remind James of their special bond, of all the years they'd shared.
Lori's eyes brimmed with panicked tears, her fingers fluttering to her bare collarbone. James steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. "Don't panic. We'll find it. Try to remember when you last felt it."
After a shaky breath, Lori recalled, "When th
