Darius reached up to rub at his temple, exerting more strength as time passed. After a while, he looked up at Pearl and said, “If you ask me, I don’t think you need to feel so anxious. We’re on the same side here. At the same time, I know that you care about me. No matter what happens, you’ll be on my side.”

Pearl’s face went red. She had never imagined that Darius would say such a thing to her. She looked down at the ground as she contemplated how to answer Darius’ question. Just then, she hea