Chapter 26

The servant, however, wasn't as composed as Jade. He hid behind her with a gasp and stammered, "Ms. Severin, please don't move. Panther is very fierce and it will bite anyone it pleases. As long as we don't bother it, it won't attack us."

Jade was scared of ferocious dogs too, but since she had experienced death once, there was not much left for her to fear.

"Why would there be a dog on the grounds?" Jade asked in a hushed tone.

"This dog is..."

Before the servant could finish, a nonchalant voice reached Jade's ears. "Who are you?"

Turning toward the voice, Jade saw a man in a blue striped suit eyeing her up and down. The man frowned, but his smile and gaze were both mocking.

"Sir..." The servant looked at him pleadingly for help. "Panther is out again. Could you please take it away? It's really frightening."

While the man looked at Jade, she was also sizing him up. She recalled that he was Caelan's elder cousin, the oldest member of their generation—Byron Fitzgerald.

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