Annie was closer to giving birth with each passing day. Catherina’s presence was a shadow, constantly looming over every moment, every breath. She was everywhere now, watching, calculating, and even pretending—pretending to care, pretending to help, pretending to be someone she wasn’t. But Annie could see through the charade, even if Henry couldn’t—or worse, refused to.
Annie had never been one to trust easily, but her instincts had always served her well, and now, more than ever, they screamed at her to keep her guard up. She had been through too much to be fooled by Catherina’s sudden kindness. And yet, when Henry had agreed to send her away to Italy, she knew her path had been set. Whether it was her choice or not, there was no turning back now.
The sound of soft footsteps echoed in t
