Chapter 10 - The Gift Box
Margaret Bell had the pendant because Sofia gave it to her.
Inside the pendant was the Halloran recovery token.
Why put it in jewelry?
Because Sofia loved dramatic nonsense.
That part was absolutely her.
Margaret was instructed:
Give the pendant to Ellie if someone ever invokes Sofia’s name to claim authority over the child.
Celina saw Margaret hand Ellie the box.
Did she know exactly what was inside?
No.
But she knew Margaret.
She knew Margaret had been Sofia’s confidante.
And Celina knew her own story about:
Sofia choosing me
might become vulnerable if Margaret handed me something from Sofia.
So she acted.
Not with a sophisticated plan.
With anger.
She knocked Ellie off the swing and crushed the box.
The pendant survived.
May you like
The paper survived.
Her cruelty destroyed her own strategy.
