Chapter 70

Viona's POV

The message from my father came in the middle of the evening. I had just returned from Edenvale, still tired from the long lectures and whispers that seemed to follow me everywhere. I dropped my bag on the couch, stretched, and glanced at my phone.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw my father's name. I opened the message.

"Nicolas came today. He demanded the engagement be annulled."

For a moment, I froze. Then, to my own surprise, my lips curved into a small, almost ...