She could not explain why her heart felt so tethered to Pamela. Perhaps it was because, in the young girl's dark eyes, Lara glimpsed a reflection of her young self—fragile, yet burning with that same defiance against despair. Their lives had unfolded along very different paths, yet Pamela's gaze carried a determination that reminded Lara of the fire she had clung to when the weight of the world had nearly broken her.
In the short time they had shared, Lara saw the depth of the girl's character. Pamela's family had loved her dearly, nurturing her with warmth even amid poverty. Her childhood had been painted with laughter, small joys, and the simple radiance of being cherished. Lara's, by contrast, had been marred by cruelty—her path lined with thorns, her memories haunted by rejection and shadows.
