ORLANDA'S breath came in shallow gasps as she watched Carlson stride purposefully into the garden. Walking in like a dark shadow against the sunlit beauty of the place, his every step deliberate, his eyes fixed solely on her, a smirk on his face. The sight of him here, in Oswald’s mansion, felt like a nightmare come to life.
The shears she had been holding fell from her hand, landing in the soft soil with a dull thud. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest like a drum. Instinctively, she took a step back, her gaze darting around the garden, scanning for an escape route.
But how was she gonna escape? There was none.
The high hedges that surrounded the garden now seemed like towering walls, trapping her in with the one man she desperately wanted to avoid. Carlson’s presence sent a chill d
