  As soon as I caught sight of her friend, the universe stopped. Not a sound was heard, not a muscle moved. Right then and there, I was frozen, trying to understand what s happening.
  Not having a clue of what s going on, Mallory began introducing us with a smile, &quot;Robert, I would like for you to meet Laura. Laura, this is Robert, the man I was telling you about.&quot;
  Laura s eyes were wide open, I couldn t tell what she s feeling right now. Is she in shock? Is her blood boiling out of rage? Is she as confused as me right now? What are the odds that Mallory s friend is the same person that I ve been very careful not to hurt?
  &quot;Robert?&quot; Mallory s faint voice became clearer as she continued to call out to me. &quot;Robert?&quot;
  I blinked twice as I returned to reality. From the corner of my eyes, Laura took a deep breath in and started avoiding my stare, looking arou

  I removed her hand, looking at her with an irritated expression. &quot;Why would you prolong her agony? She s completely uncomfortable in front of us,&quot; I said.
  &quot;I was going to get the memory adjusting powder I bought,&quot; Mallory replied, playing with her fingers. &quot;You said you don t want anyone to know about our relationship. So, I figured I could get some kind of concoction to erase her memory of this meeting.&quot;
  My nostrils flared as I turned my back in an attempt to calm myself. So, all this pain, all of these frustrations will go to waste because she already planned to wipe away every trace of this agonizing meeting at the end? She could ve just not decided to do a stupid decision.
  Mallory walked towards me and stood in front of me. &quot;There s no need to worry, Robert. I ll simply visit her tomorrow and take care of everything,&quot; she added, clearly

  &quot;Mallory, if you're willing to accept punishment for your actions, I will not stop you,&quot; I warned. &quot;But I don't think your friend deserves to pay with her life because of your actions.&quot;
  Her head quickly turned to me. Fear has dominated her previously weeping face. &quot;Are you going to tell His Majesty?&quot; she quickly asked, her eyes wide open.
  &quot;I won't but if one of the servants finds her there, they may tell the king,&quot; I added.
  She was suddenly torn. She's too broken to proceed with it but I can see her genuine concern for her friend.
  I offered her my hand, causing her to look at me with a confused look on her face. &quot;Come, now. You don't want to be seen as a rude friend.&quot;
  She looked at my hand before looking back at me again.
  &quot;We don't have time for this, Mallory,&quot; I added, trying not to sound as demanding as possible.

As soon as I caught sight of her friend, the universe stopped. Not a sound was heard, not a muscle moved. Right then and there, I was frozen, trying to understand what s happening.
  Not having a clue of what s going on, Mallory began introducing us with a smile, &quot;Robert, I would like for you to meet Laura. Laura, this is Robert, the man I was telling you about.&quot;
  Laura s eyes were wide open, I couldn t tell what she s feeling right now. Is she in shock? Is her blood boiling out of rage? Is she as confused as me right now? What are the odds that Mallory s friend is the same person that I ve been very careful not to hurt?
  &quot;Robert?&quot; Mallory s faint voice became clearer as she continued to call out to me. &quot;Robert?&quot;
  I blinked twice as I returned to reality. From the corner of my eyes, Laura took a deep breath in and started avoiding my stare, looking around the stable.
  &quot;Are you okay?&quot; Mallory continued to ask, putting her hand on my right

Chapter 17 Mistake (a)