Chapter 24

• The door swung open violently, crashing against the wall. Maria, the housemaid, rushed in behind a woman Ariel had never seen before.
• Ariel flinched, the spell shattering instantly.
• Behind the intruder, Maria stood at the threshold, looking breathless. “Sir, I tried to—” the rest of her words got stuck in her throat as her gaze fell on the almost-kiss. Her eyes widened before she quickly spun on her heels and walked away, as if escaping the thick tension in the room.