Chapter 2 - The Sleight of Hand
Mia signaled to her assistant, Jax, a terrified twenty-something who held her ring light. She texted him under the counter: Distract the manager. Spill your coffee. NOW.
Jax hesitated, his eyes wide. Mia glared at him with lethal intent.
Gulping, Jax stumbled forward. With a dramatic gasp, he tripped over the edge of a mahogany display case, sending his iced matcha latte flying directly toward Monsieur Laurent.
"Oh, my God! I am so sorry!" Jax screamed, flailing his arms.
The boutique erupted into momentary chaos. Laurent jumped back, shouting for a towel, his eyes leaving the velvet tray for exactly three seconds.
That was all Mia needed.
She lunged forward, pretending to help Jax. As she brushed past Clara, her perfectly manicured hand darted out like a striking viper. She palmed the heavy platinum watch from the velvet tray. In one fluid, practiced motion—honed from years of quickly hiding price tags during her "shopping" hauls—she slipped the $750,000 timepiece directly into Clara’s open leather tote.
Clara, who had stepped back to avoid the spilled drink, hadn't felt a thing.
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Mia backed away, her heart soaring with adrenaline. She pulled out her phone, switched the camera to her face, and hit the 'Go Live' broadcast button on her main feed.
"Guys," Mia whispered to the camera, her voice dripping with manufactured panic. "You are not going to believe what I just caught on camera. I am literally shaking."
