CHAPTER 27

Pearl didn’t have the luxury of disappearing, not this time. Not after everything Fiona had done. The world didn’t stop just because hers had been blown to pieces. And so, she threw herself into the only thing that had ever made her feel capable, steady, and in control, her work. The gallery became her sanctuary. She arrived early and stayed late, often long after the last patron left and the lights dimmed to a soft glow. She re-curated the displays herself, refining every piece’s placement like it mattered more than air. Each decision was a stitch in the fabric of her new beginning. The chaos of the past few weeks, the lies, the betrayal, the emotional collapse still haunted her, but she channeled every ounce of it into reclaiming her identity. Her hands were steady now when she handled sculpture. Her voice was sharp again when she briefed the interns. Her posture straightened with a quiet power that didn’t come from image this time. It was nearly three weeks after Fiona’s arrest