The pearl in his palm was slightly larger than the others, its surface engraved with a small, intricate crest — a design he recognized instantly, having seen it stamped into family silverware, embossed on stationery, and carved into the stone archway of his own family estate his entire life.
Julian stared down at the engraving, his mind racing to reconcile what he was seeing with what he understood to be possible. "This crest," he said, his voice suddenly unsteady, loud enough now that Victoria's continued complaints faltered into confused silence beside him. "This belongs to my family."
The girl's eyes widened, and she reached out instinctively, as though afraid he might take the pearl from her rather than simply examine it. "That's mine," she said, her voice small but firm despite her tears. "Please don't take it."
"I'm not taking it," Julian assured her quickly, though he made no move to hand it back immediately either, his attention still fixed on the unmistakable family crest catching the chandelier light. "I just need to understand where you got this. This exact design — it's not something you'd find in any jewelry shop. It's specific to my family, going back generations."
Victoria, sensing the shift in the room's attention, stepped forward with renewed irritation. "Julian, this is absurd. She probably stole it, or found it discarded somewhere. Can we please continue with the evening?"
Julian didn't answer her. His full attention remained on the girl, whose lower lip had begun trembling harder now, fresh tears gathering as she clutched the remaining pearls protectively against her chest.