Ryanna wasn’t offended. Instead, she readily admitted, “Well, I was once engaged to Vincent. Naturally, I paid attention to all things related to Granville.”

Annie stiffened, instinctively glancing at Katelyn, waiting for a reaction. To her surprise, Katelyn remained perfectly composed. Annie found it strange—anyone else would have shown some sign of displeasure. Was Katelyn suppressing her feelings? That wasn’t impossible. After all, she was known to be calculating.

Katelyn turned to Ryanna, her expression calm and understanding. “I see. If you ever have the chance, you should visit Granville yourself. Experiencing the local customs firsthand would be far more fascinating.”

Ryanna smiled and nodded. “If only I could.”

Though she had always longed to travel, her royal status made it nearly impossible. Leaving the country would stir too much attention. Annie couldn’t shake the strange feeling lingering between the two, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

Katelyn and Ryanna continued their conversation, and before they knew it, the morning had slipped away.

After lunch, just as Katelyn was preparing to leave, her phone rang.

Vincent. She glanced at the screen before answering. “What’s up?” With Ryanna present, she kept her words brief.

Vincent’s voice was gentle. “When are you coming back? I can come pick you up.”

“In a bit,” she replied simply.

Though neither Ryanna nor Annie could hear Vincent’s voice, they could easily guess who was on the other end.

Katelyn ended the call and turned to Ryanna. “Sorry, I have something to take care of. I need to head back now.”

g?lnσν?s﹒, the heart of fiction

Ryanna’s smile remained unchanged, her demeanor as composed as ever. “I’ll walk you out.”

Annie, though clearly displeased, could only suppress her irritation.

As Katelyn and Ryanna exited the garden, Annie rolled her eyes at Katelyn’s retreating figure. “Flaunting her relationship right in front of us.”

She didn’t understand what Katelyn was so proud of—acting as if Katelyn had something special to show off.

As Katelyn and Ryanna passed by the small woods again, Katelyn instinctively turned her head. The dark shadows between the trees seemed even more ominous now. Without thinking, she found herself moving toward them, her feet drawn forward as if by an unseen force.

Ryanna cried out with sudden urgency, “Katelyn, don’t!”

Katelyn blinked rapidly, the trance shattering like thin ice. She turned to Ryanna, her cheeks flushing. “I just got curious. Her cries were so heartbreaking.”

It was as if she had been bewitched by them. She couldn’t fight the overwhelming desire to discover who remained imprisoned behind those walls.

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