Chapter 146 - Hundred And Forty Six
The morning sun streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the room. Suzy slowly opened her eyes, disoriented. She blinked, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. Then it hit her – she was in Ryan’s room.
"Is anyone outside?" she called out, her voice hoarse from disuse.
The door creaked open and Doris rushed in. "Milady! Oh, thank goodness you’re alright!"
She enveloped Suzy in a fierce hug, nearly crushing her. "I was so worried!"
Suzy laughed, struggling to breathe. "Doris, you’re squishing me!"
Doris quickly pulled back, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I’m so sorry, Milady. I shouldn’t have... I shouldn’t have crossed my boundaries. I should have known my place."
Suzy looked at her, bemused. "When did you become so serious, Doris? Snap out of it!"
Doris chuckled, the tension easing. "You always know how to cheer me up, Milady."
Suzy noticed a cut on her shoulder and a bandage wrapped around her ankle. The memories of the previous day came flooding back.
[ FLASHBACK ]
Suzy’s heart hammered against her ribs as she urged a horse into a gallop. The familiar grounds of Oakwood Manor receded behind her, a blur of green against the fading afternoon light. Tears streamed down her face, blurring the already darkening landscape. Grief, a suffocating weight, pressed down on her chest, making her emotions heavy to bear.