Pearl POV
I didn’t remember falling asleep.
The last thing I recalled was curling onto the cold floor, clutching my mother’s letter to my chest until my sobs burned my throat raw. I thought sleep would never come, not when my mind was drowning in memories of Demyan’s voice, his touch, his betrayal.
But exhaustion had claimed me anyway, dragging me into a restless darkness.
When I woke, it wasn’t gentle. A voice broke through, faint yet insistent, and my body jerked awake. My eyes felt heavy, crusted with dried tears. The ache in my chest had only deepened, as though the night had carved me hollow.
“Pearl…”
I blinked, my vision blurred and stinging. Standing above me was Aunt May, her expression a mixture of sorrow and determination. I realized then that I was still on the floor, cur
