The air in the sitting room shifted again, but this time it was not light or playful. Something restless settled between them, something that refused to stay quiet.
Isabella folded her arms, her chin slightly raised, her eyes locked on Gabriel with a determination that made it clear she was not backing down.
“I am going,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “You can’t stop me.”
Gabriel stood in front of her, tall, unmoving, like a wall that had no intention of shifting.
“Watch me,” he replied quietly.
Andrea turned his face slightly to the side, trying to hide his smile. Martha, standing a little behind, pressed her lips together, but the amusement was already written all over her face. Even the other maids, who had quietly gathered behind the curtain that separated the inner hallway f
