A note of ransom
I guided Vivian to the kitchen, where she slumped into a chair, her eyes fixed on a note centered on the table. My gaze followed, and I felt the room spin as I read the demand for our family’s heirloom diamond necklace. The message was concise: deliver the gem, or a ‘truth’ would be exposed. What truth? I pondered, my mind racing. This necklace, a legacy of our lineage, was now a bargaining chip in a game we didn’t understand.