CHAPTER 403. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. A Game for the Queen

Chiara flinched, startled, and on the other side of the cameras, Jhon jumped up from his chair, breathing as if he were swallowing his tongue.

—“Go... go out...?”— she murmured, trying to find a way out— “Where to?”

—“For a walk,”— Viktor replied, and Jhon exhaled— “There are beautiful gardens here, and we even have a small orchard. Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve got strawberries.”

Chiara smiled and accepted the invitation to go for a walk. A weight lifted off her shoulders because at that moment, any romantic proposition would have made her faint—and not out of excitement.

They left the main building, followed by one of the guards, and headed down a path toward one of the side gardens. As they walked, Chiara felt herself relaxing more and more. The pleasant chill in the air, the scent of herbs and flowers, the soft breeze on her face… She began to feel good and remembered why she had always loved walking outdoors as a child. V