ANNA'S POV

The guard cleared his throat, the sound low and uneasy, like someone who had just stumbled upon something they weren’t supposed to see. That single action alone dragged everyone’s attention straight to him.

“What’s the matter?” Isabel asked, already stepping deeper into my room, her eyes sharp with interest.

The guard hesitated, then slowly bent and picked something up from beneath my pillow. His movements were careful, almost reluctant, as if he was afraid of what would happen once he revealed it. When he straightened and raised his hand, my breath caught painfully in my chest.

The necklace.

For a moment, the room felt unreal, like time had...