Daniella immediately lowered the frame again, pulse beginning to pound unevenly inside her chest. No. No, that was impossible. Wasn't it?
Her thoughts spiraled rapidly afterward. Why did Santiago have this photograph? Why had nobody mentioned her mother? Why did the Lanford Estate disappear from public discussion almost completely? And why—why did she suddenly feel like she had unknowingly walked into the center of something much larger than herself?
A soft knock suddenly sounded against the suite doors. Daniella nearly jumped violently, instinctively placing the photograph back exactly where she had found it moments before. Her breathing remained uneven as she stepped away from the shelf quickly.
Then the doors opened gently. A female attendant entered respectfully.
"Young Madam," she greeted softly. "Doña Catalina requested to know whether you would join her in the garden later this afternoon."
Daniella swallowed hard before answering. "...The garden?"
