Chapter 510:

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“Gerda, don’t you feel it too? There’s such a profound connection between us. My daughter passed away not long ago. I’ve carried that grief quietly, hiding it behind a mask so thick that none of you could ever see the cracks. But when I look at you, my heart softens. I feel such warmth. If you were my daughter, how perfect that would be!”

At Clara’s declaration, her affluent companions, the perfumed, well-dressed women who lived on leisure and gossip, were quick to say, “Miss Reed, don’t overthink it. Just agree to be her close friend!”

“Your family’s business keeps them abroad, and you’re all alone in Braptin. Your parents are too busy to stay here with you. If you accept Mrs. Dawson as your close friend, you’ll finally have someone supporting you here.”

“Mrs. Dawson is so warm and generous. She’s lost her only daughter; she’ll love you as if you were her own flesh and blood…”

𝖳𝗵𝗲 𝘮𝗈𝘀t 𝗽оp𝗎l𝘢𝗋 𝗇𝗼𝘃e𝗹𝗌 𝗈𝗇 g𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗼𝘃e𝘭𝗌.с𝘰m

The voices stacked upon one another, tightening like an invisible net, until a shiver crept down Gerda’s spine.

She bit her lower lip and carefully slipped her hand from Clara’s grasp. “This is something I need to think about very carefully… My parents taught me that decisions of this importance must be discussed with them first. I’m truly sorry.”

Clara’s expression stiffened for a heartbeat before she seized Gerda’s wrist again, swiftly reshaping her features into a picture of tender benevolence. “Your parents are reasonable people; they’ll surely understand. By the time you speak with them, my birthday will already have passed. I don’t want to wait. I want you to agree to it on my birthday, today.”

“Exactly!”

The chorus surged once more, louder and more insistent. “A birthday is the perfect occasion to form such a bond. It would be the most meaningful gift you could give Mrs. Dawson!”

“Miss Reed, you really shouldn’t hesitate any longer…”

Their voices rolled over Gerda like relentless waves, each crashing harder than the last, until her temples began to ache.

She tried again to pull away, but Clara had already anticipated her resistance. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free from that iron grip. Hemmed in by the crowd, she found herself unable to escape.

A fine sheen of sweat formed along her hairline. “Mrs. Dawson, I truly can’t agree to this. I—”

“But today is my birthday!” Clara’s eyes glistened, tears spilling over as her voice trembled. “Is it really too much to ask for this one thing as a birthday gift?”

At the sight of her tears, murmurs rippled through the watching women, sharp and judgmental. “This is hardly a big deal. Why is she being so difficult?”

“Making someone cry on her birthday, this Miss Reed is unbelievably inconsiderate.”

“I thought she was pretty and gentle. Now I’m beginning to doubt that…”

The cutting whispers tightened around Gerda’s chest, leaving her breathless. She had done nothing wrong. But why did it feel as though she were being judged for an unforgivable sin?

“I think Miss Reed should agree.”

At that moment, from beyond the enclosing circle, Thea’s voice cut through the noise, cool, detached, and piercingly clear.

Every head snapped up at once.

Gerda stared at Thea, disbelief flooding her eyes. “Why would you say that…”

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