Chapter 2 - The Name Behind the Gold
Clara paused, holding the rose stem gently between her manicured fingers. Her smile remained warm, though a flicker of polite confusion touched her brow. She lifted her right hand, her thumb casually brushing the gold rim of the pendant.
"No, sweetheart, this is my family's pendant," Clara explained gently, her tone soothing as she prepared to reach into her leather purse for her wallet. "It's a unique piece passed down through generations."
Lily took a step closer, the metal bucket clanking softly against her knees. Her eyes flickered with a sudden, intense desperation that shattered the innocent child-vendor facade.
"Does it say Rosewood on the back?" Lily asked drenching each syllable in urgent hope.
The air on the sidewalk seemed to freeze instantly.
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The color drained from Clara’s face in a single, terrifying wave. Her hands locked up; the red rose she was holding slipped from her fingers, tumbling to the cobblestones. Her brown eyes dilated in extreme, unadulterated terror as she stared down at the small blonde girl, her breath catching in her throat like jagged glass.
"Rosewood?" Clara whispered, her voice cracking as her composure broke into a thousand sharp pieces. "Where is your mom now?"
