Chapter 306

The last three days, the manor was a whirlwind.

Every corner buzzed with preparations—lights swapped for festive colors, decorations growing more vibrant by the hour.

Everyone I saw was buried in work, complaining about being swamped.

Maya had ordered me not to lift a finger, Nico had backed her up, and Clara never skipped our daily check-ups. I was feeling better, just bored out of my mind.

One evening, Maya snuck into our room with a dinner tray. I pounced on it with squeals of gratitude I’d only ever used for my parents. Halfway through my plate, Maya, standing by the wall and studying some photos, murmured, “When are you going to tell him?”

I didn’t need a fortune-teller to know who she meant. My fork clattered to the plate as I chewed, staring at my hands. “I don’t know.”

“You should,” she said, crossing the room to sit beside me on the bed. “It’s getting harder to hide. You’re glowing, Elena. Nico’s going to figure it out soon.”

She