After Anna left, Roseline remained where she was, staring at the space her daughter had just vacated, her words echoing long after the door closed behind her.
She knew Collin would escape. She had warned him—made sure he understood exactly what was at stake if he stayed. Yet Anna's calm delivery unsettled her. There had been no fear in her voice. No panic. Just certainty.
That was what disturbed Roseline the most.
What does that mean? she wondered, unease curling in her chest.
Anna's behavior during the visit had been strange from the start. First, she had questioned Ester's supposed violence toward her. Then she had mentioned Collin's escape as if it were already decided—already expected.
Too composed. Too aware.
Roseline had spent years ensuring the truth of her past never reached her daughter. With Hugo's help, she had erased every trace—every document, every witness, every whispered rumor that connected her to Collin beyond what she allowed the world to see.
