Mr. Hawthorne, Your Wife Wants a Divorce Again-Chapter 1046: Lost Necklace

The date went on past ten in the evening before Ann Vaughn and Cyrus Hawthorne returned to No. 8.

As soon as they entered the living room, they noticed that the atmosphere inside wasn’t quite right.

Unlike usual, where Ian Yardley would have taken his medicine and gone to bed upstairs by this time, he was sitting in his wheelchair with red eyes, surrounded by several servants who were trying to comfort him.

Ann’s heart skipped a beat, sensing that something was amiss.

"What happened?" Cyrus asked with a deep gaze, scanning Ian’s pale face, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Kingston, sis, you’re back." Ian forced a smile, clutching the armrests of his wheelchair tightly, "It’s not really a big deal, it’s just that the necklace my brother left me is suddenly missing, and everyone’s been kind enough to help me look for it."

Ann wasn’t sure if it was her imagination.

When Ian mentioned "my brother’s keepsake," she clearly felt Cyrus’s aura suddenly become still, not obvious, but it made her quietly alarmed.

Ann pursed her lips, wondering just who Ian’s brother was.

"Have you found it now?" Cyrus asked in a deep voice.

"Sir, we’ve searched this villa thoroughly, except for the master bedroom, your study, and Miss Vaughn’s lab; we haven’t found Mr. Yardley’s things anywhere else," a servant replied.

Ian bit his lips for a long moment before saying, "If we can’t find it, then so be it. I’ve already troubled everyone enough and don’t want to bother anyone further."

Because Ian was young yet frail and couldn’t walk normally, the servants in the villa were quite sympathetic to this handsome, considerate, and sensible boy.

Hearing him say this only made them feel even more sorry for him.

"I remember yesterday morning, Miss Vaughn seemed to have visited Mr. Yardley’s room, could it be at that time..." Suddenly, a servant spoke softly.

Her words were cut off as she felt a sharp gaze directed at her, frightening her into immediate silence.

"Don’t speak recklessly, sis came to my room because I was trapped under the bookshelf. It was thanks to her that I was rescued," Ian quickly said, "And besides, why would sis be interested in my necklace? Kingston, don’t misunderstand her."

His explanation didn’t help; the more he explained, the more the servants looked at Ann oddly, as if she had actually taken Ian’s necklace.

One couldn’t deny Ian’s skill; within just a few days, he had already won over all the servants.

Furthermore...

Seeing Ian’s pure and innocent eyes, Ann’s gaze slightly narrowed. She suspected that the necklace was probably in the master bedroom.

What Ian was waiting for was Cyrus to order someone to search upstairs.

Once the necklace was found, she wouldn’t be able to clear her name, no matter what.

Thinking of this, Ann felt her heart gradually sink.

Cyrus didn’t respond to Ian, instead looking at Ann lost in thought, softly asking, "Annie, what do you think?"

"Are there still a few rooms left to search?" Ann gathered her thoughts, looking into his comforting dark eyes, feeling slightly calmed, "Let’s talk again after the search."

"Hmm, let’s do as you say then," Cyrus agreed.

Ian calmly clenched his palm, a cold smile flashing in his eyes.

With the matter of finding the necklace, the servants could no longer get involved, Sept led the Hidden Guard, splitting up to search from the top floor down.

Within half an hour, Sept returned to the living room, holding an amber necklace.

"Sir, Miss Vaughn, the item has been found," Sept respectfully placed the necklace on the table in front of Ann and Cyrus, who were sitting on the sofa.

Cyrus’s narrow eyes drooped slightly, his slightly bemused gaze lingering on the amber necklace briefly, barely perceptible if not closely observed.

Then, his long finger tapped on the table, signaling Sept to hand the necklace to Ian.

Ian received the necklace from Sept, examining it closely before a look of regained joy erupted in his eyes.

"Yes, this is the necklace my brother left me! May I ask where you found it?"

With Ian’s question, Sept’s expression turned odd as if unsure how to explain.

Seeing this, several servants behind Ann couldn’t help but speak up for her.

"Sir, I think there may be some misunderstanding, Miss Vaughn couldn’t possibly have taken Mr. Yardley’s necklace."

"The young master gave Miss Vaughn a whole garden of gem flowers, yet she donated them all without a blink, so why would she covet this necklace?"

"Miss Vaughn isn’t lacking in money or jewelry, there’s no need for her to take someone else’s..."

Although they felt for Ian, they had spent more time with Ann, who had also helped many of them with ailments medicine couldn’t cure.

Moreover, whenever Ann developed a new medicinal cuisine, she generously shared it with everyone, making her the most amiable hostess they could imagine.

Even though Ian was skilled in leveraging his advantages to win people over.

Not everyone was easily swayed by him.

Ann didn’t expect so many to speak up for her, her emotions were complicated as she heard Ian across from her say:

"Kingston, actually, I gave this necklace to sis yesterday as a thank you for rescuing me from under the bookshelf."

"Perhaps I got muddled after taking my medicine and forgot about it, causing such a stir and troubling everyone. I’m really sorry."

His humble demeanor and sincere apology were hard not to believe as genuine.

Yet, had he said this before the necklace was found, people might have believed it.

But saying it after the necklace was found... it was hard not to suspect him of trying to preserve Cyrus’s dignity and cover for Ann.

In such a case, the stain on Ann’s reputation couldn’t be washed away.

"You don’t need to make it sound like I stole your necklace while you’re here covering for me," Ann said, her face icy, it was unclear if she was addressing Ian or Cyrus, "I won’t admit to something I haven’t done no matter who tries to force me."

Ian smirked slightly, thinking, "That’s not for you to decide."

"If you didn’t do it, there’s no need to admit it," noticing the heaviness in Ann’s words, Cyrus gently rubbed her hair, his voice calm and soft.

Ann’s fingers stiffened, but she held her silence, though the light in her eyes gathered anew.

"Sept, tell me the truth, I want to hear it,"

Sept steeled himself, immediately replying: "Yes, sir. The necklace was found by us in Mr. Yardley’s room... in the trash can. Judging by its condition, it had been discarded for quite a while, and it took some effort to clean it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the smile in Ian’s eyes shattered like glass hit with a hard object, instantly fracturing into a web of cracks.

How could that be?!