Delphine would take a walk in the garden near the house at a fixed time every morning, listening to the crisp chirping of birds, breathing in the fresh air. After sitting for about an hour, she would walk to a flower shop a little farther away, buy a bouquet, and return home.
This period belonged entirely to her. As she sat quietly, she often felt an illusion that time was no longer passing, as if she had returned to her youthful days, the time of pure innocence.
This morning, she bought a bouquet of small daisies and placed them into a woven bamboo basket. As she was about to get up and take them home, she saw a young, beautiful woman approaching who seemed quite familiar.
"Miss Gu, I'm Sharn Joe."
Delphine thought for a moment and remembered that this was the protagonist of yesterday's rumors. She was more petite in person than in the photos, the kind of woman who could evoke a man's protective instincts.