Allison's POV
I bent down, my hands trembling as I gathered the pendant from the floor.
The chain had broken, leaving the precious crescent moon and star separated from its platinum links.
My neck stung where the chain had snapped against my skin, leaving a thin red line like a collar of shame.
The physical pain was nothing compared to the hollow ache spreading through my chest.
The office had fallen eerily silent.
I could feel their eyes on me—Lucian's stormy gaze, Peter's sympathetic concern, Heidi's barely concealed triumph.
None of it mattered. In that moment, something inside me broke far more permanently than the delicate platinum chain.
Drawing on strength I didn't know I possessed—strength Jasmine was feeding me through our bond—I pulled myself upright.
