Chapter 27

The air filled with an unending blanket of silence.

Shanaya took her time to fully absorb the meaning of Neil’s words, her eyes darting impulsively to the bunch of yellow blooms.

This is really happening, she thought to herself. It’s real.

It was long before she realized she had closed her fists too tightly. Her nails had dug a trail of half moons on her palms. She watched them with horror and surprise.

“She has agreed, Shanaya,” Neil repeated, stepping forward as his hand reached to rest on the edge of the chair. His gaze was unwavering, his voice firm as if speaking a command.

“I heard you the first time, brother,” she told him, sliding her chair behind as she rose slowly. “You don’t believe it yet, do you?”

Neil simply shook his head, confirming her suspicions. She wished he was smiling then. He was after all conveying happy news. But this was a complicated matter.

“It’s going to be the gloomiest wedding ever,” she added, folding her arms. “I hope you can manage to smile i