But he harbored no desire for such an outcome. After investing so much in her, he wasn't prepared to witness it all squandered.

“What are you gazing at?" Davey's sudden voice shattered the silence.

Startled by his abrupt presence, Casey flinched slightly.

Approaching the window where she stood, Davey turned to observe the begonias outside before softly remarking, "Beautiful."

Whether he referred to the begonias or Casey herself remained unclear.

Casey offered no response to his comment, maintaining her typically indifferent demeanor in his presence. Her moments of melancholy outweighed those of joy.

“Casey, are you feeling unwell?" Davey inquired, his gaze unwavering.

“The butler mentioned that you requested brown sugar water."

Casey couldn't discern his motives for asking, but she understood approaching each of his inquiries with caution. It was all too easy to fall into his snares.

When she wished to evade direct answers, her default tactic of unreasonable irritability served her well.

"The butler isn't a ‘butler,’ is he?" she retorted sharply.

Amused, Davey arched an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued by her response.

"He might as well be your spy, monitoring my every move. 'Surveillance' would suit him better." Casey shot back with biting sarcasm. “Do you find every detail of my life so fascinating? Of what I eat, drink, even when I go to the bathroom? Next time, I'll just report directly to you. Why bother with an intermediary?"

Her tone dripped with deliberate petulance, skillfully masking her true emotions beneath a veneer of annoyance.

A shadow passed over Davey's eyes. Something significant was at play, for Casey to inadvertently reveal her consumption of the brown sugar water. But what could it be?

Davey's thoughts turned to the newlywed Raegan, realizing that aside from her, nothing else seemed significant enough to have distracted Casey to this extent.

Casey adeptly portrayed a character with a fragmented memory, nearly convincing even him.

Alternatively, he refrained from shattering her illusion as long as it brought her satisfaction. However, his leniency didn't equate to allowing her an opportunity to flee.

As usual, Davey responded with a smile, “If it distresses you, I'll instruct him to cease reporting. I merely wished to demonstrate heightened concern for you."

Casey understood Davey well enough to discern his sharp demeanor and swift shifts to aloofness, particularly during intimate moments, which invariably left her at a disadvantage.