Lilah remained reticent, offering no response.

Elton inquired further, "What do you want from me?"

"I seek the unvarnished truth from you," Lilah declared, her gaze fixed intently upon him. She continued, "You're more of a pawn than you realize, implicated by Xavier Jewelers. What's the going rate for your loyalty, Elton?"

Elton, taken aback, clearly unprepared for Lilah's knowledge, bowed his head and fell silent.

"Do you honestly believe you can shield the truth by your silence?"

Lilah challenged.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I harbor no desire to betray you but I'm cornered. A jail sentence is something I cannot endure," Elton confessed.

“Of course, incarceration isn't an option for you, given your daughter's hospitalization," Lilah pointed out.

Elton drew a deep breath and cast an emotional gaze upon her. “What is it you wish to accomplish? Are you attempting to intimidate me?

Your threats are futile, for I speak the truth!"

Lilah regarded him with an icy demeanor, replying, "Your plight is indeed a tragic one. Losing your job, coupled with your daughter's illness, has left you with no alternative. I empathize with your situation. If you divulge the truth, I can double your compensation.

What are your thoughts?"

Elton deliberated.

“Very well, I consent," he acquiesced.

As Lilah scrutinized him, she detected the sorrow etched on his face, yet she also caught a flicker of unreadable emotion in his eyes.

She produced a doll and placed it delicately on the table.

Elton's astonishment was palpable as his eyes fell upon the doll.

"How on earth did you come by this?" he inquired, a quiver of disbelief in his voice.

“It appears rather familiar, wouldn't you agree?" Lilah responded calmly.

“What... What have you done to my daughter?" Elton's voice reverberated with a mixture of fear and rage.

“I intend to mirror your actions upon your own flesh and blood."

“But she's innocent!" Elton protested desperately.

"We, too, are innocent," Lilah stated with an icy, unwavering gaze.

"You unjustly implicated us. Have you considered the toil and dedication those designers put into their creations, only to see them vilified and disparaged now?"