“I saw you!”
Silence fell again.
The judge ordered Idan removed temporarily while counsel discussed whether and how his statement could be received.
But the damage had already been done.
Margaret’s confidence was gone.
During questioning conducted under appropriate supervision, Idan told the story he had been too afraid to tell.
On the afternoon the necklace disappeared, he had gone upstairs looking for a charger.
He passed Margaret’s private sitting room.
The door was partially open.
He saw his grandmother holding the green jewelry case.
She removed the necklace, wrapped it in a silk scarf, and placed it inside a small travel case.
Idan had thought nothing of it.
Until later.
After Clara was accused and removed, Idan asked Margaret why she had blamed Clara if she herself had moved the necklace.
Margaret told him he had misunderstood what he saw.
Then she warned him not to repeat “adult matters.”
“What did she say exactly?” Maya asked.
Idan looked toward his grandmother.
“She said if I loved my dad, I would stop making trouble.”
Adam shut his eyes.
The judge called a recess.
The Hamilton legal team immediately requested time to review the new allegation.
Maya moved faster.
She requested that the court order preservation and examination of Margaret’s relevant travel and storage records.
The missing piece surfaced two days later.
The necklace had never left the Hamilton family’s possession.
It was discovered inside a locked deposit compartment associated with a private storage service Margaret used for valuables awaiting insurance reappraisal.
Documentation showed the item had been deposited under Margaret’s authorization the morning after Clara was dismissed.
The courtroom was packed when proceedings resumed.
Clara could barely breathe.
