Chapter 1528:
Corrine caught Karina’s eye and rose to her feet.
Just as they gathered their belongings to leave, the butler’s voice sliced through the silence. “Please wait.”
At his unexpected intervention, Corrine and Karina exchanged loaded glances. Pivoting slowly, they beheld the butler hastening toward them with a practiced smile that never reached his calculating eyes.
“We must beg your forgiveness for the inconsiderate delay. Miss Hamilton was unavoidably detained, and we shamefully neglected your comfort. I implore you to accept our apologies.”
Karina, despite her typically affable disposition, felt her composure crumble after enduring the slight.
Forcing the corners of her mouth into a semblance of politeness, she said,
“Since Miss Hamilton appears occupied, we shall trouble her no further.”
With that, she gently clasped Corrine’s hand and pivoted toward the exit. Just as they were crossing the threshold, the butler—recalling Amelie’s earlier directives—hastened toward them with an obsequious smile plastered across his face. “Please wait.”
Wringing his hands nervously, the butler’s troubled expression betrayed his anxiety. “Miss Hamilton awaits your presence in her chamber. If you would permit me, I can escort you upstairs immediately.”
Witnessing his excessively deferential manner, Karina instinctively sought Corrine’s gaze.
While Karina could tolerate personal disrespect, she bristled at the thought of Corrine being subjected to such treatment.
“Lead the way,” Corrine commanded with quiet dignity.
Together, Corrine and Karina trailed behind the butler upstairs.
He navigated the path while they maintained a deliberate, unhurried pace behind him.
The corridor walls showcased an array of oil paintings, one of which captured Corrine’s attention.
Before she could examine it properly, the butler halted at a door. “Miss Hamilton awaits within,” he announced.
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The door swung open, and Corrine and Karina crossed the threshold.
The room was expansive yet strangely barren, encircled by imposing floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Amelie occupied the room’s focal point.
She was draped in a delicate white camisole gown, perched elegantly upon a solitary chair, methodically drawing a brush through her lustrous hair that spilled like liquid gold over one shoulder.
The peculiar arrangement of the room, combined with her intimate attire, sent a chill of discomfort crawling down Karina’s spine.
Without conscious thought, Karina edged closer to Corrine, her fingers grasping her sleeve with desperate intensity.
Sensing Karina’s mounting anxiety, Corrine reached for her hand, drawing a deep breath to center herself and quell the rising tide of unease threatening to surface.
“Miss Hamilton, are you prepared to commence with the measurements?” she inquired.
“Certainly,” Amelie replied, rising with fluid grace as she glided toward them.
As she approached, Karina felt her chest constrict.
Still, she summoned her professional composure, fingers steady despite her racing heart as she methodically recorded each measurement.
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