Maxine couldn't deny that there was something magnetic about the castle and its residents, something that had drawn her into a world she had never imagined.
But as she contemplated the portrait and the cryptic vision, Maxine couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.
The beauty of the woman in the painting seemed to be a double-edged sword, like her own, carrying with it the potential for both enchantment and danger.
Maxine laughed, 'Who said that? I must be dumb to compare my beauty with hers. My beauty...danger?"
The words of the maid echoed in her mind, a chilling reminder that her presence in the castle, her beauty, could have unforeseen consequences, especially when she was under the watchful gaze of Duke Sullivan.
Maxine's forced journey into Ashbourne Castle had taken an unexpected turn, and she was now caught in a web of intrigue and mystery.
