The more Alfy thought about it, the more certain her resolve became. She took another deep breath. She had to see Katelyn!

Alfy’s expression was determined as she reached out to grab the tree trunk. She had no martial arts skills, so something as simple as climbing a tree was a huge challenge for her. Her heart raced with fear as she reached out and gripped the tree. It felt as if her chest could burst at any moment. Alfy gathered her courage and pushed herself off the windowsill.

There was a problem, however. The tree was rather brittle and couldn’t support Alfy’s weight. There was a loud crack! Then the trunk broke. Alfy fell directly to the ground.

The wind was knocked out of her, and it felt as if her internal organs had been jostled. Luckily, Alfy had managed to slow her fall by grabbing a branch. The soft grass below helped cushion her fall. She was in pain, but at least she wasn’t injured.

The moment she started to fall, Alfy covered her mouth to muffle any sound and prevented herself from crying out.

Despite all her effort, it was too late.

“Miss Norris, what are you doing?” The butler stood nearby, bowing respectfully.

Alfy had no idea what to say. How could she be so unlucky? Even a small fall had caught the attention of the butler.

She struggled to sit up, looking at the butler with tears in her eyes. “Please let me go out. I’ll just say my goodbyes to Katelyn and come right back. I promise that I’ll…”

“Be okay.” The pain had subsided, and Alfy slowly stood up. She walked to the butler with a pitiful look on her face.

The butler had watched Alfy grow up and had always cared for her. Usually, he indulged her desires, but this was a different matter. The butler shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Alfy, who had been clasping her hands together in a prayer, instantly dropped them, her face falling. “Please take pity on me.”

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The butler looked at Alfy and shook his head again with a sigh. “Miss Norris, please don’t make this difficult for me. Your uncle is only trying to protect you!”

It was a time of unrest. Outside their home, there was chaos. One wrong step and she could get caught up in it. No matter how much the butler doted on her, he wouldn’t risk her life.

Alfy’s heart sank. Leaving today was impossible; she knew that now. Her head drooped, eyes fixed on the ground. Tears slipped down her cheeks, one after another, silent but relentless.

Watching her like this was unbearable. The butler felt a sharp pang of sympathy but forced himself to stay firm. For her safety, he had no choice.

He approached her with a quiet sigh, his voice gentle yet unwavering. “Miss Norris, if Miss Bailey were still here, she wouldn’t want this. She’d want you to be safe. As long as you carry her in your heart, she will never truly be gone.”

A man past fifty, he had seen enough loss. But to lose someone as talented and capable as Katelyn at such a young age—it stung.

Alfy’s sobs deepened. She collapsed against him, her cries unrestrained, her body trembling as sorrow crashed over her. At that moment, her feelings just spilled out without any warning. Reality had never been clearer—Katelyn was gone.

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