On the other side Caroline balled her fists listening to this news.
Sophie touched her arm gently “Caroline…” she began quietly, but Caroline shook her off, her gaze locked in the direction Liam had left.
Meanwhile, Liam had already slipped through the side corridor, his boots echoing faintly on the stone floor. He passed through the arched doorways and into the palace gardens, where the evening air was cool and scented with jasmine and freshly watered grass.
Here, the noise of the palace fell away. The garden was nearly empty — no nobles, no servants, no curious eyes. Only the soft rustle of leaves in the evening breeze and the faint trickle of the fountain could be heard.
And there, near a blooming cherry blossom tree, sitting quietly at a small wrought-iron table, was Elena.
She sat alone, a porcelain teacup cradled between her hands, her long chocolate brown hair tumbling over her shoulders. She wore a simple pale blue
