She had not yet known that listening would change the shape of all our lives.

At home, Pearl fell asleep in her own bed.

There was no camera blinking above her door.

Just a night-light shaped like a moon.

PART 21: What the Records Proved

The encrypted drives took weeks to examine.

Their contents were less theatrical than the rumors surrounding them, but more consequential.

They showed that Vivian had ordered secret monitoring of Pearl’s communication sessions and had withheld selected recordings from Desmond and medical professionals.