Chapter 96 revealed

"Mary?" Mr. Harrington boomed, his voice laced with disbelief. "Is this true?" Mary, her throat constricting, could only manage a silent nod. Her secret, the unspoken attraction that fueled their deception, was now laid bare for all to see. Christopher, his face a mask of conflicting emotions, took a step towards Mary. "Mary, I can explain…" "There's nothing to explain, Christopher," Mary interrupted, her voice surprisingly strong despite the tremor in her heart."The truth is out. Deception has a way of doing that." Mrs. Harrington, her face pale with shock, approached Mary, her voice tight with concern. "Mary, dear, what on earth were you thinking? Getting caught up in such a… scandal?" Mary, stung by the disapproval laced in her mother's voice, lifted her chin. "Perhaps, Mama," she countered, "I was tired of always being predictable. Tired of waiting for my life to begin." The room erupted in a cacophony of whispers and gasps. The carefully constructed social order had been sha