When Natalie looked at Emma again, her expression had returned to normal.
Emma smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Natalie."
Natalie returned the smile, genuine this time. "Nice to meet you, too." 'Maybe I imagined it earlier,' she thought. 'Emma hasn't done anything wrong, so why would she look guilty?'
"I've been abroad for a while," Emma explained. "I only got back this morning." She seemed regretful that she hadn't been able to greet Natalie when she first returned to Belvaria.
"You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other," Marianna said with a smile.
After chatting for a while, Emma excused herself, mentioning she had to attend a charity event later that day.
As she left the room, Emma instinctively glanced back. Through the partially open door, she could see Marianna gentl
