Ryanna nodded in understanding. “I get it, but this person has always been a taboo. I don’t even know who it is. My father told me never to go near it.”
So, to this day, Ryanna still didn’t know who was inside. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been curious, but the place was a fortress unto itself—too many guards and surveillance equipment standing sentinel. The moment she ventured too close, alarms would signal her intrusion.
Katelyn studied Ryanna’s face, sensing nothing but sincerity in her words. Her gaze drifted toward the shadowy depths of the mysterious place.
Drawing in a deep breath, Katelyn turned to Ryanna with resolve and said, “Alright. Let’s go then.”
Ryanna nodded, relief washing over her features.
The two women slipped outside, leaving the oppressive atmosphere behind them.
Vincent stood waiting at the palace entrance like a statue carved from ice. When his eyes found Katelyn, something remarkable happened. His typically frost-laden features softened, almost as if revealing a vulnerability.
Perhaps he remained blind to his own transformation, but Ryanna noticed it immediately. Was this the face of true love? The genuine article that poets spent lifetimes trying to capture in words? It was breathtakingly beautiful, yet it stirred an unwelcome pang of envy deep within her chest.
Vincent acknowledged Ryanna with a curt nod. “Princess Ryanna,” he greeted, his voice as barren as a winter desert.
Ryanna returned the gesture with equal formality.
But then his attention snapped back to Katelyn, and in that heartbeat, his eyes melted into pools of warmth. The stark contrast between his demeanor toward the two women couldn’t have been more pronounced.
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Vincent asked with unexpected tenderness, “Are you cold?” He took Katelyn’s hand in his, his fingers gently assessing her temperature. His concern wrapped around her like a cashmere blanket.
Katelyn shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “I’m not cold.”
She then turned toward Ryanna with respectful deference. “Princess Ryanna, thank you for today.” She raised the box in her hand, a silent acknowledgment.
Ryanna immediately understood. With a gracious smile that masked her inner turmoil, Ryanna replied, “It was nothing. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
She glanced at Vincent unconsciously, but his gaze was fixed on Katelyn. A bitter sensation spread through Ryanna’s chest, and she hastily buried it beneath layers of royal composure. Katelyn responded, “Alright.”
Katelyn then turned to Vincent, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. “Let’s go.”
Vincent remained silent but gently guided Katelyn toward their waiting car. Ryanna stood framed in the palace entrance, a solitary figure watching their departure with unreadable eyes.
After they drove off, Ryanna turned on her heel and retreated to the sanctuary of her chambers, her footsteps echoing against the marble floors. Annie sprawled in a plush chair, casually disregarding royal etiquette, eyeing Ryanna with unveiled suspicion. “Ryanna, why are you being so nice to her? That woman’s obviously the kind to stab one in the back.”
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