Chapter 26

That night, I went to the banquet hosted by the Bowmans as Horace's companion. The moment people saw me with him, they stared in shock, sending all kinds of looks our way. Horace acted carefree, leading me smoothly through the crowd like nothing was out of the ordinary. "Shay, you're pretty famous these days. First, you were with Charles, and now, you're with me. The two most well-known men in Grouchester have both ended up falling for you." Arm in arm with him, I walked over to a quiet corner. I said calmly, "We're not that close. Don't call me that." "Not that close? People are already gossiping. We even lay on the same bed before!" Hearing him say that, I pulled away coldly. His playful attitude vanished, and he lowered his voice. "I don't have real feelings for Lilith. I'm just jealous of Charles. It was already unfair that he was born into privilege, and on top of that, he had a childhood sweetheart. "Shayla, it's not too late to walk away. Don't bet everything on how Charl