Dinner invitation

"Sorry," Kate whispered, glancing at Joe, who looked tense.

"Sorry for what?" Joe asked.

"Because... my honesty will hurt you," Kate replied anxiously. "I don't mean to make you sad, I just... I just feel uneasy. I can't let them deceive you... But I'm also afraid that if you get angry with them and tell them what you know, they'll accuse me of telling you, and I might get into trouble," she continued.

Joe gave a slight smile, looking down.

"It's okay... I deserve this, and you don't need to worry... I won't tell them," he said.

"No one deserves betrayal," Kate replied, placing her hand on Joe's thigh. "The person who should know this best is you if Isabella is serious about this marriage being just a contract. You're her lover, the one closest to her, but why didn't she tell you? Isn't that strange?" she wondered angrily.

Joe stayed silent, recalling his last meeting with Isabella.