Linsy couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw Sophia’s indignant expression. “Why do you think Michael Helwart and I are in love?” she asked, the amusement in her voice laced with something softer, something heavier.

Sophia blinked, momentarily caught off guard. She wasn’t a child anymore, but in front of Linsy, she always felt like the younger sister desperately trying to catch up. “I don’t know,” she murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Maybe it’s just… ...