Celia barely had time to formulate a response before a group of girls suddenly approached, their voices filled with disbelief and excitement.
"Celia!" A blonde girl, Victoria Langley, gasped as she came to a stop beside her. Her emerald-green eyes shimmered with curiosity. "Tell me it's not true! Did the engagement really get called off?"
"Yeah, Celia, what happened?" Another girl, Cassandra Merlot, chimed in, her perfectly manicured nails clutching onto her clutch bag. "Damien Elford has been after you for years! Everyone thought it was a done deal!"
A third girl, Lillian Duvall, leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Did he do something? Did he mess up? Oh, please say yes."
Celia's mind raced as she schooled her features into a carefully neutral expression. The last thing she needed was to let Iris see a crack in her composure.
