Helen shook her head, clearly disapproving of my n. "No way. I can arrange for someone else to take them, but I can''t let you go alone. It''s too risky."


    Just then, the doorbell rang. Helen and I exchanged puzzled nces. Who could that be?


    Helen opened the door, and in walked ude Hart. He paused at the threshold, looking at me. "ire, Uncle asked me to apany you to have brunch with Princess Harriet."


    Max was aware of my ns and knew I was supposed to have brunch with Princess Harriet.


    My anxiety was probably written all over my face. "Where is he?" I tried to ask, but no sound came out.


    "Uncle said he''de back to find youter today. He wants you to wait for him."


    Frustration gnawed at me, like amb awaiting ughter. I clenched my jaw, unable to find the words.


    ude noticed my silence and asked, confused, "ire, I know I can be ambitious, but I''ve never done anything to harm you. Are you really not going to say a word to me?"


    Helen quickly jumped in to exin, "ire''s been through something traumatic recently. She''s temporarily lost her voice. I''ve scheduled a doctor''s appointment for her today."


    ude seemed a bit flustered, reaching out as if to hold my hand but then pulling back. "You''ll be fine. At the tea party, I''ll speak on your behalf. You can y it cool." With a snap of his fingers, a servant appeared with a blue dress and


    matching jewelry for me.


    "ire, time to change."


    Helen took the outfit and led me to the dressing room. I changed into the blue gown, adorned myself with the jewelry, and applied an exotic eye makeup look before slipping on a veil. I reminded Helen to ensure the Goodwin sisters'' safety.


    Kate and Tracey were already in my room. The moment Kate saw ude, she was filled with mixed emotions, but both of them were beyond speaking terms.


    Once I emerged, Kate pulled Tracey down to her knees in front of me.


    "We don''t want to leave. We want to reim everything the Goodwin family lost and avenge the


    eline


    humiliation my sister and I suffered.


    ire, please help us find


    brother and get our revenge.


    I had read from Helen''s files yesterday that the Goodwin family was no more, as their brother had handed everything over to Princess Harriet. Consequently, Kate and Tracey had be bargaining chips for the princess.


    "ire, we don''t care about our own lives anymore. We just want to live for


    ourselves, even if it''s just this once." I could rte to Kate''s words, feeling a deep understanding.


    I nodded, then gestured to Helen, "You go to the hospital to find out about Lily. I''ll head to the tea party with ude."


    We decided to split up.


    What I didn''t know was that Max would be present at the tea party with the princess.


    Harriet had her arm looped through Max''s, and his face was as expressionless as an iceberg. She kept offering him an array of delicacies, like feeding a pet.


    When we arrived, Harriet greeted us with a smile, "Finally, Ms. ire, you made


    it."


    Had she already found out everything about me?


    ude whispered at my side, "Don''t be afraid."


    I wasn''t scared. What unnerved me


    was Max sitting right across from me, seemingly engaged with Harriet. I couldn''t help but feel the sting of irony. The man who was


    unreachable the night before was now right here, seemingly ying games with my emotions,


    No matter how Max appeared-dressed in his opulent, royal attire the scent of


    sandalwood, ingrained in his skin, betrayed him.


    As soon as I sat down, Harriet had someone hand me a ss of wine. "This one''s not poisoned. Don''t go killing my fish again." She leaned against Max''s shoulder,ughing. "Ss, She poured the poison wine I gave Lily into my fish tank yesterday. My poor golden dragon fish died, and I held a little memorial for it today."