POV: Sam'sHardly had the brunch dishes vanished from the table before Gwen was on her feet.Almost floating, she moved through the dining room as if the gleaming stone beneath her belonged only to her - which, inside her thoughts, it truly did. A pale silk gown drifted near her feet, jewels on her neck flashing when sunlight struck, her constant grin set firm, like something carved and fragile. Not once did she hurry. There was no need. Speed suggested fear.Fear never touched me back then.Not anymore.Away from the others, I moved past the archway into the east veranda, chasing a short break before tea started. That brief pause? Exactly what she waited for.Suddenly - her voice, like syrup left in the sun, slipped behind me. "Samantha, love," it murmured, cloying and slow. A pause. Then: could I spare a moment? Just one small talk?Halt. A slow pivot. Her gaze meets mine - no flinch, no retreat.“Of course, Gwen.”Into the gap she stepped, smooth like clockwork after long practice
Last Updated : 2026-03-23 Read more