LOGINCHAPTER 55KATRINA BARILLAS Before Pierre could turn and actually see us, I grabbed Jelly’s hand with both haste and desperation. “Come on!” I hissed, tugging her with me.We hurried away from our spot, moving as fast as we could without drawing attention. Instead of returning outside, we slipped deeper into the hall, weaving past the clusters of guests. We ducked behind a small crowd of standing guests.“Let’s find a vacant table,” I whispered, trying to catch my breath while peeking through shoulders and sequins.“Right away, Madame! There... look!” Jelly pointed at an empty table tucked near one of the tall glass windows.We headed straight for it.We settled into the chairs, Jelly on my left, me slightly angled toward the window. From this spot, we weren’t too exposed. A small group of guests stood nearby, chatting animatedly, unintentionally forming a barrier between us and the rest of the hall. Their presence blocked most people’s view of our table.I immediately signaled a n
CHAPTER 54KATRINA BARILLAS The moment Queen stepped out of my room, I took it as my cue to head into my walk-in closet. The soft click of the door behind me echoed faintly against the walls lined with shelves and warm lights.I picked up the hair blower from the vanity and began drying my wet hair. The warm air hummed in my ears, brushing softly against my scalp as I worked through the strands. Once it was no longer damp, I slipped into my dress, smoothing the fabric over my hips while taking a moment to look at myself in the mirror. Just then, Jelly arrived. “I’ll handle your hair, madame,” she murmured, already gathering the long strands.I nodded. “Just put it in a ponytail. I don’t want it getting in the way.”“Yes, madame.”When she finished, my hair was pulled neatly back, exposing the lines of my face. “So… we’re the only ones left here?”"Yes, madame. Your father personally took Boss Valerion to his destination. He’ll be returning to pick us up next.”“That’s better, the
CHAPTER 53“M-Madame… Katrina…”The soft, hesitant voice drifted from behind me, pulling me out of my spiraling mind.“Why can't you... Just love Mr. Pierre?"Good grief, I had completely forgotten there was a maid standing in the garden this whole time.“What’s your name?” I asked, trying to sound composed.“Jelly, Madame…” she replied.“How old are you?” I continued.“Twenty-seven…” she answered.“Why did you say that... why did you think I can’t love Pierre?” I asked."It’s obvious, Madame. He likes you more than he likes Madame Queen…”I laughed out loud.“You actually believe in your master’s moves?” I said, shaking my head with a mix of disbelief and amusement. “He just wants to make me fall for him because he knows I don’t like him. And if he succeeds... of course... he’ll turn unbearably arrogant.” I let out another laugh.With that, I walked back to my seat before my food turned completely cold. I picked up my fork again and resumed eating, determined to finish everything.Be
CHAPTER 52KATRINA BARILLAS“Take good care of her.”Madame’s voice carried that familiar weight of authority that could silence even the wind as it passed through the garden hedges. Her heels clicked sharply against the stone path as she turned away, leaving Queen and me in the soft hush of the sunlight.The moment Madame’s figure disappeared beyond the archway of vines, I allowed myself a quick, secret glance in Queen’s direction. I gave her a small, subtle nod.She returned the gesture with the same discreet confidence.I let the air settle before speaking. “You look… exceptionally blooming today, Queen,” I said, letting my tone tease her just a little.She let out a soft, girlish giggle. “Yeah,” she admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I have to look good for Pierre’s eyes…”“I’m honestly jealous... you're just so beautiful," I responded. “You know… whenever I see you, I really do get stunned,” I went on. “You look so elegant. From the back, from the side… and espec
CHAPTER 51I splashed water on my face and gargled to wash away the lingering sleepiness before stepping out of the room. The maid fell into step beside me.We descended to the ground floor. The air grew cooler as we approached the wide glass doors leading outside. We walked through them and followed the stone path that wound gently into the garden.It felt as though my feet were leading me down the same path we had taken the day before, back to the little spot we had claimed as our own. The trees parted familiarly, the morning light slipping through their leaves just as it had yesterday. And when the open space finally revealed itself, I immediately spotted Pierre.He was seated exactly where he had been the day before, on that chair slightly angled to the side, his posture was composed, as if he had been waiting there for hours with nothing but patience to keep him company. From where I stood, the early sunlight framed him in soft gold, adding an almost serene glow to his usually un
CHAPTER 50KATRINA BARILLASI had already finished everything on my plate, yet Pierre still hadn’t finished whatever he was trying to say.At that point, I no longer knew whether he was scolding me, giving me orders, or offering advice, his words were such a confusing mixture of all three that I couldn’t even categorize them anymore. He just kept going on and on, his voice blending with the ambient noise around us until it felt like a constant buzz in my ears.“Katrina, are you listening to me?”I lifted my gaze toward him, suppressing a yawn that escaped before I could stop it. It was only then that he finally paused from the endless stream of words he had been pouring out since earlier.“I have keen ears,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes as sleepiness crept in. “So obviously, I’m listening.”“Yes, you’re listening but are you actually trying to comprehend the things I just said?” he asked, edging with irritation.“Of course I am,” I answered.I handed him the plate I’d been holding,
CHAPTER 28 KATRINAThrough my haze, I saw him stand and make his way toward me. His steps were so confident, unlike mine, which probably would’ve swayed in every direction if I even tried to move. He stopped right in front of me, his tall figure blocking out the lights above, and without a word, he
CHAPTER 26KATRINA I turned to face him, my brows furrowing as irritation rose inside me. “Why did you take it off?” I demanded. “Do you know how long it took me to get that ponytail just right?”He didn’t even look guilty. “Didn’t I tell you not to tie your hair like that?” he said flatly.I blink
CHAPTER 27KATRINA I looked up at him slowly, trying to steady my vision. My eyelids fluttered as I forced my eyes wide open, but it didn’t help much, everything around me seemed to spin and tilt, as if the world itself had decided to join me in my drunken dance.The dim lights of the bar blurred
CHAPTER 25KATRINAI turned to him, watching as he carefully removed the seal from the bottle of wine I’d bought earlier. The sharp pop of the cork broke the air.I raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly am I supposed to wear then? Pajamas?” I asked, my tone edged with sarcasm.Pierre looked up, meeti







