Elena’s POV

The moment my mother hears that the Old Master wants to see her, the exhaustion on her face fades almost instantly, replaced by a mixture of relief and anticipation that makes her movements noticeably quicker, as though all the effort she has poured into the past few days is finally about to be acknowledged.

“It must be about the engagement arrangements,” she says as she reaches for my hand, her voice carrying a trace of eagerness she does not bother to hide. “Come with ...