Chapter 6 - The Exit
Without another word, Arthur looped his arm through Sophia’s, shielding her from the stares of the twelve wealthy women who no longer looked thrilled or amused, but terrified.
As they walked past Beatrice Kensington, the older woman tried to salvage her dignity.
"You're making a catastrophic mistake, Miss Hayes," Beatrice hissed, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "A girl like you—you'll never belong in our world."
Sophia paused at the threshold of the double doors. She turned her head, looking back at the woman who had tried to break her spirit with a pitcher of ice water.
"Mrs. Kensington," Sophia said, a faint, confident smile touching her lips. "You spent all morning worrying that I wasn't good enough for your family. Now that I'm walking away, do me a favor..."
She glanced at Theo, who stood frozen and utterly defeated by the doorway.
May you like
"...don't tell your son where to send my things. I'll have a courier pick them up."
They walked out of Rosewood Manor without looking back, leaving the silence of the conservatory behind them.
