Chapter 4

"Mrs. Carter said this was her surprise for you..." the housekeeper said, his voice uneasy as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

"What else did she say?" James stared at the wedding dress, his face dark with rage.

No one knew what James was thinking.

"She also said... you should enjoy the proposal," the housekeeper stammered, carefully studying his expression.

The housekeeper was baffled by my sudden audacity—challenging James at such a critical moment.

"Well, isn't this interesting," James sneered through gritted teeth.

He lifted a corner of the dress and examined where I'd scrawled "SR" with a…