[41]
As the thunder of Anthony’s horse fades into the distance, the sudden silence in the park hits Siena with a cruel clarity. For a few hours under that tree, they were just a man and a woman deeply in love, stripped of society’s rules. But his frantic departure serves as a harsh reminder of the invisible wall between them. While Anthony rushes back to his world of palaces and privilege, Siena is left behind to gather herself. Wrapping Daphne’s cloak around her shoulders, she steps into her carriage with a heavy heart. She is caught in a painful paradox: she treasures the warmth of his genuine love, yet she is acutely aware that she will always be his secret—the woman he loves passionately in the shadows, but can never walk with in the light of the Ton