Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Althea's eyes were fixed on the old book that lay before her. Its leather-bound cover was faded, and the pages inside bore the weight of time, yellowed and brittle. She couldn't help but wonder why the maid had left it there, and it intrigued her to find such a relic in the midst of her confusion and turmoil.

There were two books, side by side, each labeled with a sense of personal history. "Journal One" and "Journal Two." Althea hesitated, feeling a moral dilemma. The journals seemed like they contained the private thoughts of Carolina, and reading them felt like a breach of her privacy.

However, curiosity gnawed at Althea's conscience, and she eventually gave in. She opened "Journal One," revealing the first entry. The words on the page held the essence of a young bride's emotions, captured in time.