"Am I here at the wrong time?"The voice automatically made everyone turn toward the doorway, and the one standing there was Mrs. Nevermore, elegant as ever, dressed in a soft silver outfit, a string of pearls glimmering faintly around her neck. Her presence always carried a quiet grace, the kind that filled a room without needing to say a word."Mrs. Nevermore!" Amelia exclaimed warmly, a smile breaking through the worry that had lingered on her face moments ago. "What a sudden surprise to find you at our home! How long has it been since we met?" The older woman returned the smile, her tone was light and affectionate. "Far too long, Mrs. Sargent, finally got time to see you, I almost thought you’d forgotten me completely.""How could I ever?" Amelia replied, gently clasping her hands. "Though we met only a few times, every time I met you, it was a wonderful moment, please, come in, you're always welcome here."Mrs. Nevermore stepped inside the grand hall, her gaze wandering fondly

••NO POV••"Huh?" Christian looked flustered after hearing to what Rosaline has said, but she was same as always, "I know you heard me well, if you don't want me to say it aloud enough for everyone to hear, then...." "Let's go," Christian immediately got up from the couch, and looked at his aunts and uncles with an awkward face, "Well, I need some rest, how about we talk later?" Charles nodded his head with a grin, "Sure... Sure, go ahead." Lowering his head, Christian went upstairs in a rush, Rosaline followed right behind him, once inside the room, Christian sat on the bed with a sigh, "Day by day you're teasing me too much, did you see the way uncle looked at me? I'm too embarrassed!" "It's not my fault," she sat beside him and softly placed her hand on his shoulder as if she was trying to overpower him, "It's you who is out of control and I should use my ways to keep you in control." Christian rolled his eyes, while muttering something deep inside.Rosaline didn’t move her h

"Is this the so-called party?" Lord Sargent asked, his tone carrying the weight of disinterest and old pride. "Didn’t we ever have a better party than this before? Is it really necessary for us to attend, Amelia?"Before Amelia could answer, Christian spoke gently, reminding him about their past conversation, "Grandpa, please don’t forget your promise."The old man turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as if he forgot what he promised. "Promise? Remind me which one...." Christian exhaled quietly, his gaze steady yet gentle. "The one you made just a few days back, when you said you’d attend a party with me and grandma, no questions asked, didn't you?"Lord Sargent hummed quietly. "Ah, that one.... Yes, I did say that." A few days back, despite Amelia requesting Christian not to mention about the party with Lord Sargent, still, Christian pulled a brave act to talk with him.Reaching to Lord Sargent's study, Christian calmly greeted him with a tea cup, "good evening grandpa, hot

"Disappeared?" Aurora raised an eyebrow, her tone a curious blend of mockery and melancholy. "That’s not the correct way to say it, Chris... He didn’t vanish, he left for a reason, with a broken heart."Christian frowned at her explanation. "Left or disappeared, what difference does it make? He abandoned his mother. No matter how much pain a man carries, he shouldn’t walk away from the woman who gave birth to him, she left her husband, her entire world, just because her son suffered a grievance, she stood for him as a mother while leaving behind duty as a wife and matriarch, that's the amount of importance she gave to him, and what did he do? Turned his back on a helpless and lonely old woman." When Christian finished his words, Aurora crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. "You sound awfully invested for someone who’s supposedly just a quiet intern with no family background, aren't you?"Christian paused and looked at her with a terror, while she leaned closer, voice dipping

••NO POV••"Who is that man?" Christian sighed inwardly while walking aimlessly, "Why is he even targeting me as if I'm a criminal? Isn't it the first time we met, why is he behaving as if he is holding a grudge against me?" The garden stretched wide under the soft silver glow of the moon, fountains murmuring quietly among trimmed hedges and roses that glistened with dew. The faint laughter from the ballroom drifted faintly through the air, now a distant hum compared to the stillness outside.Christian found peace in that silence and enjoying his own company, "finally, I can breathe now! This is really refreshing! Sometimes being an introvert is annoying as hell... Stepping away from them is the only way to survive." He quietly glanced at the roses, "These are looking so beautiful!" Aurora finally found Christian by the marble fountain, his reflection radiating beside the moon’s. He looked deep in thought, shoulders slightly slouched, as if the silence suited him more than the no