Chapter 202

NOAH I didn’t know what had come over me or why I had swallowed the pearl necklace. Maybe it was the fever clouding my judgment, or maybe it was the desperation that had been building inside me for far too long. I knew it was the latter. I forced it down as I watched the shock spread across Olivia’s face, her expression changing instantly as she rushed toward me. “Noah!” The pain hit immediately. It tore through my throat, sharp and unrelenting, forcing a harsh cough out of me as my body gave out and I collapsed onto the carpet. A metallic taste filled my mouth, thick and unmistakable, and I instinctively brought both hands to my throat as I struggled to breathe. “Noah!” Her voice came again, closer this time, edged with panic. Through my blurred vision, I saw her drop beside me, her movements quick and unsteady as she reached for her phone and dialed 911 without hesitation. Every swallow felt wrong. Something lodged inside, scraping painfully as it moved, and each breath only made it