ir was hiding something from her.
Noticing Briony''s silence, Autumn asked gently, "Ms. Kensington, is something wrong?"
"I''m fine." Briony''s voice was steady, almost t. "Do you often get visitors from outside on this ind?"
"Hardly ever," Autumn replied. "We''re pretty remote out here no one really has a reason toe."
Briony didn''t press further. "I''m a little tired. Would you take me back to my room?"
"Of course."
Autumn led Briony back and helped her settle in.
Brionyy down on the bed and closed her eyes.
Seeing how truly exhausted she was, Autumn quietly pulled the nket over her and slipped out, shutting the door behind her.
The sound of the door closing echoed in the quiet room.
Briony slowly opened her eyes.
Blindness. A world swallowed by darknessy before her, leaving her helpless.
Even something as simple as leaving this room on her own was now out of reach.
Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to her children.
Were they missing their mother? Were they crying for her, scared and confused because she couldn''t answer their calls?
A wave of confusion and despair washed over Briony.
Whether it was Stewart in the past, or Ferdinand now, men always seemed able
to throw her life into chaos with barely any effort.
She was so tired. So very, very tired.
...
ir returned to Goldfish Isle at dawn the next day.
Briony had just managed to doze off when the sound of the door opening startled her awake.
Footsteps approached-deliberate, unmistakable.
Briony knew, even without seeing, that ir was back.
He stopped by her bedside, watching her with his lips pressed together, silent for
a moment before saying, "Ms. Kensington, I know you''re awake."
At that, Briony slowly opened her eyes.
Though she couldn''t see him, she turned her face toward ir, her gaze vacant. "Where did you go?"
"I had some business to take care of."
"ir, even you are hiding things from me now?" Briony pushed herself up, anger flickering across her face. "Is it because I''m blind now that you all think you can lie to me and keep me in the dark?"
"That''s not it, please don''t misunderstand-"
"I hired you as my bodyguard. I expect you to report everything to me." Her voice
was cold and sharp. "So I''ll ask you again: where did you go?"
ir stared at her.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Ms. Kensington, this is personal. I''m sorry, but I can''t tell you."
"You work for me. You left during
work hours to handle your own affairs without my
are you taking advantage of the fact
that I can''t see?"
"That''s not what I mean.” ir sounded resigned. "Ms. Kensington, I promised I''d get you home safely. I intend to keep that promise. Until then, you''re safe here. Please trust me."
Briony pressed her lips together, her hands clutching the nket in anger.
ir watched her, his expression unreadable.
He hadn''t wanted to upset her.
But the truth was, he couldn''t possibly tell her what he''d been doing.
"Ms. Kensington, please, believe me. No matter what I do, I would never betray you."
Briony let out a soft, bitterugh. "Fine. I believe you."
She was nothing now but a blind woman forced to rely entirely on others. What choice did she have but to trust them?
All these twists and turns, and somehow, she''d ended up right back where she started.
Briony closed her eyes.
The words she''d wanted to say "You''re Stewart, aren''t you?"—she buried deep within her heart.
None of it mattered anymore.
Ferdinand, Stewart-whoever they were, they''d both finally learned to treat her with respect.
And yet, she''d never tasted true freedom or release.
Her life had led her here, to a dead end.
The darkness before her was that dead-end''s unscble wall.
Behind her, the footsteps of her pursuers drew ever closer.
There was nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide.