Margaret reached Nora in the center of the store, positioning herself directly in the girl's path with the kind of confidence that left no room for polite avoidance. "You stole this, didn't you?" she demanded, her voice loud enough to carry across the entire showroom, drawing immediate attention from nearby staff and customers alike. Nora stopped walking, genuinely startled by the sudden accusation, her mind racing to catch up with what was happening. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, her voice steady despite the confusion clearly written across her face. Margaret didn't answer directly. Instead, she reached toward a nearby display case, lifting out a shimmering diamond necklace with a triumphant, almost theatrical flourish, holding it up between them like undeniable evidence. "This," Margaret said, her tone dripping with accusation. "I watched you near this case. It was here before, and now it's not where it should be." Around them, a small crowd had already begun to gather, drawn by the rising tension and the raised voices cutting through the store's usual hushed atmosphere. Nora felt heat rising in her cheeks, not from embarrassment, but from a familiar, exhausting frustration at being accused of something simply because of how she looked, what she was wearing, where she'd chosen to stand. "I haven't touched anything," she said calmly, refusing to let her voice rise to match Margaret's escalating volume. "I've just been looking." Margaret scoffed, clearly unconvinced, glancing around at the gathering onlookers as though seeking validation from the growing audience. "Then explain why this necklace was moved," she pressed, taking a step closer, her expression hardening further with each passing second. Nora held her ground, her calm demeanor beginning to visibly unsettle Margaret, who had clearly expected either panic or a hasty confession, not this steady, unflinching composure staring back at her.