Catherine hadn’t felt the sun on her face in days. The heavy curtains of the Ravenswood estate had kept the light at bay, and with it, her desire to escape. After weeks of being holed up inside, bombarded by media frenzy, whispers in the halls, and the constant presence of Lucius’s watchful eyes, she had reached her limit. She needed to breathe—really breathe. She needed to feel something other than the suffocating weight of expectations, rumors, and the constant scrutiny of her every move.
That morning, with a quiet resolve, she had decided to leave the mansion. Just for a few hours. A simple walk in the park, perhaps a quiet café where no one knew her name. She dressed in a casual, non-descript outfit—nothing that would draw attention—and took a deep breath as she stepped out of the gra
