The Unshackled Queen: Never Say Never

There sat Hannah on the sofa, dressed in a long-sleeved white nightgown, her smile as insincere as it was polished.

“Mr.

Mitchell, you really are quite the night owl, aren’t you?”

Maybe because Bryson hadn’t anticipated Hannah to be awake, his expression momentarily froze.

Leaning against the sofa, Hannah greeted Bryson with a smile that refused to wane.

“Didn’t think I would still be up, did you?”

“Yeah, I honestly didn’t think you would still be up at this hour.

”

Approaching the sofa, Bryson asked, “Were you waiting for me here on purpose?”

“Who else would I be waiting for? But you haven’t answered my question yet,” she pointed out.

Taking a seat beside her, Bryson explained, “Just couldn’t seem to fall asleep, so I decided to take a little stroll.

”

Hannah nodded.

“You went out for a walk because you couldn’t sleep? For a moment there, I thought you were up to no good behind my back.

”

As Bryson sank into the sofa beside her, Hannah turned to him, smiling but saying nothing.

Sensing that Hannah might have caught on, Bryson simply smiled back and leaned against the sofa in silence.

‘s BunnyBookery

A standoff ensued between them until Hannah broke the silence.

“Remember when you said we shouldn’t keep secrets from each other? Why does it feel like you are hiding something now?”

Bryson turned to meet her gaze.

“What could I possibly be hiding from you?”

Their eyes locked, and after a beat, Hannah chuckled, averting her gaze.

“How would I know what you are hiding from me? If you are dead set on keeping it a secret, I will not find out even if I tried.

”

Bryson rose to his feet and gave Hannah’s head a gentle rub.

“I had tomorrow on my mind and couldn’t seem to nod off before I decided to take a walk.

Don’t dwell on it too much.

Get some sleep early.

It’s getting late.

”

The smile on Hannah’s face dimmed as she watched Bryson’s retreating figure.

It was crystal clear to her that Bryson was keeping something from her.

There was evidently more to his presence here today than met the eye.

Whatever he had been up to outside didn’t weigh heavily on her mind.

She had faith he wouldn’t bring her harm, no matter the circumstance.

However, the knowledge that he was hiding something gnawed at her, stirring a deep sense of unease.

In the room, Bryson leaned against the door, his fingers grazing his forehead.

He couldn’t help but chide himself for being too impulsive.

The following day, Hannah woke up at noon.

She had tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity before finally drifting off to sleep last night.

Upon waking up, she berated herself for overthinking things so much.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her reverie.