The director first hesitated. It was obvious she didn’t like the idea of prying into other people’s privacy, but she had no choice but to agree with the man. "Fine. Quick search, then we move on."
One of the minor actors went with Elara and Ziva.
Ziva did not bother to hide her displeasure as the man moved around the room searching the bed, the corners, the window, even checking behind the wall decor as if sothing might magically be tucked there.
Elara’s eyes followed him in curiosity, taking note of how he searched everywhere carefully with full focus. Then her gaze drifted to the bracelet she had placed on the locker.
He hadn’t even glanced in that direction at all.
Not long after, he walked past the locker and headed straight for the wardrobe. Ziva’s eyes narrowed instantly.
"Wait, what do you think you’re doing?" she said sharply, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Are you even a gentleman at all? Or is going through a woman’s closet part of your daily routine?"
It was like she was talking to air. The actor reached for the wardrobe door, but before he could open it, Ziva stepped forward and blocked him.
"Are you deaf?" she snapped. "Aren’t you ashad of what you’re doing? Let go call a lady to search it."
"Ziva, let him," Elara said suddenly, her eyes calm but curious.
Ziva hesitated, clearly unwilling, but after a mont she stepped aside, though not without shooting the man a warning look.
He moved forward again and opened the wardrobe.
"Aren’t you done searching?" Ziva asked impatiently when he didn’t move away after a while. As she opened her mouth to speak again, his voice suddenly cut through her words.
"I found it!" He yelled, staring into the wardrobe, not even sparing them a glance.
Elara’s brows lifted as she looked at him. Beside her, Ziva’s mouth had fell open a little in disbelief. Before either of them could say anything, the others began filing into the room.
"You found it?" the director asked, her brows furrowing in confusion as she stepped in.
Elara only stood in place, a small amused smile resting on her lips.
She already knew who was behind this, so there was no need to trouble herself thinking too much about it.
"This doesn’t make sense." Carris suddenly spoke from where he had been standing near the wall.
The room fell quiet at once, the whispers dying down imdiately.
"I know what all of you are thinking," he continued, his gaze sweeping across them. "But the bracelet was last seen while she wasn’t around, and she only ca back late. So... how could she have known where it was kept?"
Everyone paused, clearly considering his words, though a few still whispered under their breaths.
"If so, then how did it end up here in her room?"
"It couldn’t have simply appeared in her closet. Could it?"
Carris let out a long sigh before speaking again. "The person who took it would have to be soone who was there when the prop master put it away, or soone lurking nearby and saw exactly where it was kept."
"But after the prop master left, no one was seen outside," Relanie’s calm voice cut in.
"Except her," she muttered, her gaze shifting sideways toward Elara.
Elara’s lips pressed together as their eyes t, but Relanie had already looked away before she could even blink.
"And the director," she added casually.
"What do you an by that?" Ziva snapped, stepping forward imdiately. "Just say it clearly. What are you trying to imply?"
Reine moved as if to step in but Relanie gently held her back. "Let her be," she said calmly.
"I didn’t take it," Elara finally muttered. "I never put anything in there."
"Then do you have any idea who might have?" Relanie asked in a soft tone, though there was sothing cold underneath it.
The corner of Elara’s lips lifted faintly. "Of course not," she replied. "But I do know it was soone who put that bracelet in my closet." She pursed her lips again as Relanie’s eyes suddenly locked on the locker and she began walking toward it.
"Don’t, that isn’t any prop," Ziva said quickly, but Relanie did not stop.
She stopped in front of the locker and looked down at the bracelet resting on it, then slowly raised her eyes to Elara. "How did this get into your hands?" she asked. "This Mrs Vale’s... Right?"
At once, everyone’s attention shifted.
"Oh my... isn’t that the Moonlit Crest?"
"Never in my life have I seen it in person."
"How could she possibly have sothing like that?"
"Hm," Elara responded with a shrug, eting Relanie’s gaze. "How is that a problem?"
Relanie did not reply. Her eyes remained fixed on the bracelet, unmoving, as if she hadn’t heard the murmurs around her at all.
The director was visibly conflicted, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation. But just as she was about to speak, Relanie’s voice ca again.
"How could she just give you this?"
"I don’t know," Elara replied simply.
Relanie kept staring at her with a calm expression, but the chill in her voice was unmistakable. Reine quickly stepped forward, placing a hand on Relanie’s shoulder before turning to the director.
"We shouldn’t drift away from the main issue Director... Shouldn’t sothing be said about this?" she asked firmly, not glancing at anyone else.
"The missing prop mattered a lot and it was found in her room. If we ignore sothing like this just to keep things peaceful, it might send the wrong ssage. This is a professional set after all. We can’t act like nothing happened."
"You sure?"
A voice suddenly rang out. It was quite, but it stopped everyone mid sentence.
The room went still and every head turned toward the door at the sa ti.
A man was leaning against the doorfra with his hand in his pocket, looking completely relaxed. Another man stood behind him, looking exactly the opposite.
The mont the director saw him, her eyes went wide and she stood up imdiately...
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