Quinn pursed her lips, excusing herself to make her way downstairs.


    She navigated the winding corridors until she found the restroom, only to be met with the surprising presence of Walter, who was just finishing up. Upon noticing her, Walter hastily tore off a couple of paper towels to dry his hands, assuring her, "You cane in. I''m done."


    Quinn offered a faint smile in response, nodding as she stepped inside. "The floor''s kinda slippery. Watch your steps," he warned.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    But before his words had fully registered, Quinn found herself sliding backward.In a frantic scramble, she reached out for something to steady herself, her hand finding Walter''s arm. Reacting swiftly, Walter caught her, his hands circling her waist, pulling her into an unexpectedly intimate embrace.Quinn clung to his arm, her gaze lifting to meet his.


    Her dark eyes locked with Walter''s, causing him to momentarily falter, taken aback by the sudden warmth radiating from his grip around her waist.Freya had been right. There was something captivating about Quinn''s eyes.


    The clear purity of her gaze seemed to hold a myriad of emotions, not overtly seductive, but with an allure that stirred a desire to ruffle her calm exterior.It was akin to the irresistible urge one feels to tousle a cute animal''s fur, that inexplicable pull to disrupt the peace.


    A rare crack appeared in Walter''s usuallyposed facade.At that moment, a pair of Serena ke happened to walk by, eximing in surprise at the duo''s ambiguous posture. Realizing thepromising situation they had stumbled upon, they quickly scampered off. Walter promptly released Quinn, a hint of awkwardness creeping into his demeanor.


    "Are you okay?" he asked. Quinn took a step back, creating some distance, shaking her head in reassurance. "I''m fine, thanks."With a slight nod, Walter turned to leave the restroom. As the door shut behind him, his stride faltered, and he cast a backward nce at the closed door, a trace of a smile on his lips fading slightly.''She isn''t afraid of me anymore. Interesting,'' he mused.


    Gossip in the Vi spread like wildfire, and news of Quinn and Walter''s restroom incident circted rapidly. "I''m telling you, the way he looks at that dummy is so strange. I always knew there was something fishy," one servant whispered to another.


    "That''s right, his eyes don''t do that when he looks at Freya. It''s like there''s a connection," another added."It''s true, but Quinn is a dummy. Even if something was going on, she wouldn''t be able to say it.""Poor thing. I saw Alexander getting handsy with her just the other day." The chatter grew more heated, the servants oblivious to Freya''s presence until one of them noticed her and abruptly straightened up, stuttering, "Freya."Freya''s gaze was icy. "What are you discussing?"Nothing, it''s nothing," they stammered in unison.


    "Nothing? Keep talking. I haven''t heard enough," Freya retorted, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorway, her expression unreadable. The servants paled, exchanging nervous nces, none daring to speak."Tell me everything you saw," Freyamanded."We were just babbling," one of them attempted to excuse."Babbling?" Freya''s countenance hardened. "You dare to babble about such matters? Are you looking to be fired?" She swept the room with a sardonic sneer before dering, "Spill it. Tell me everything you saw and heard, everything."One of the servants swallowed hard, trembling as she began to recount the details meticulously.