That is a great hook, and very effective use of the prompt. Your story works not only because it is told well (yes it is!) but because at the end readers are left with a conflict the character must solve. When Mary first learned of Rosa's complicity in the theft, there was a conflict. Should she tell? She didn't. But now, she has a gem that can make her rich. How did she get that gem? Is there blood on it? Could she ever us it with a clear conscience? Will the riches she obtains from it be tainted?
Stories that lack moral clarity interest us, because life usually lacks moral clarity.
Thank you for sharing this story with us. We appreciate your active engagement with other authors.
When I wrote the story I thought about this moral conflict that had developed and in part I tried to soften the crime, when I changed the events a little and instead of it being a heartless robbery, I wrote that the fortune, even though it had been stolen, was part of the family of the murdered man.
But Rosa's conflict and then Mary's are still there and certainly this can happen in real life.
I really appreciate your comments and I'm glad you liked the story.
Regards