Chapter 481. Did He Do Something?

Jamila’s POV

The party is ongoing, but Nicholas has disappeared, and I spend most of my time with Maximus. He’s nice to me, but he stares… a lot.

“Jamila,” Maximus says. “Such a lovely and uncommon name,”

“It’s Swahili. It means beautiful or graceful,” I tell him with a smile, and he repeats it silently.

We continue to talk as we walk in the garden. “Are you close to the royal family?” I ask. Nicholas doesn’t seem to like him.

“I was close to the late Luna. She and I were good friends,” he informs me with a fond smile.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. He sighs and runs a hand through his flowing locks. And something unexpected happens, and I stop in my tracks. I felt a pang of hurt momentarily, but it wasn’t mine. Was it?

“Are you okay?” Maximus asks, concerned. I only nod my hand and continue strolling. The garden is lovely and bright with little lights. In my peripheral vision, I see the cat Nicholas calls Shai, watching me atop a window