KATHERINE

I stared in disbelief at the woman I had thrown out the night before—who, surprisingly, was now walking out of the inner room as if nothing had happened.

“I gave you a very clear order yesterday. What are you doing here?” I asked in a low voice, careful not to make a scene in front of the girl.

“The Duke is the one who hired me, and unless he dismisses me, I’m not going anywhere,” she answered with all the audacity in the world.

The girl started telling me to stop harassing her nanny, saying she was good, that I should just go back to the countryside—but I didn’t hear a word of it.

All I could see was that woman, her eyes filled with confidence and contempt.

“Did you tell the Duke that I asked you to leave, or did you spin some lie?”

“I told him that the lady dismissed me from her service, and he said I should stay to look after the child…”

I didn’t even let her finish. I stormed out of the room like a whirlwind.

He could do whatever he wanted with his damned castle. He coul