Chapter 21
Raina POV
I'm nervous.
I glance around, the weight of the gazes pressing into me. The journey to Alden Island feels unreal. I never thought I would be here—standing on the precipice of a world I'm not sure I belong in, but now it's happening.
The plush seat beneath me feels like stone, hard and unmoving. The office we're in? The design is surreal. It looks like something out of a medieval fantasy—stone walls, intricate carvings, dark wood furniture with vines creeping along the edges. But it's not just the aesthetics that's overwhelming.
It's the people.
Sitting at the center of this grand room is Thorne Alden. He's imposing in a way I wasn't prepared for. His graying hair, with golden streaks, frames a face that's older but still sharp. There's a weight to him, a gravity, that demands attention.
And beside him, sitting casually on the armrest, is Noelle Alden—the man who gave birth to the Alden legacy. His presence is equally commanding, but there's something softer in the way he holds himself, a contrast to Thorne's sternness.
And then, standing by the large wooden table, are the twins—Thieran and Niall. They're whispering to each other, the quiet hum of their conversation a stark contrast to the looming silence in the room. I can't help but notice how… well, how beautiful they all are. Seriously, what is it with this family?
Even I—moderately attractive by anyone's standards—feel like I'm out of place here.
I glance at the back of the room, where Rami Alden is leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Despite not being a blood relative, he still exudes the same power. His intense gaze doesn't leave me for a second, and for some strange reason, I can't help but feel like he's weighing me, judging me.
The silence in the room is so thick it feels like it could suffocate me.
Then, the door opens.
Mirelle walks in, her expression as steely as ever. She doesn't even glance at me before stepping in front of the Aldens, her posture rigid. There's something almost regal about the way she holds herself, even if it's all a façade for her nerves.
"Aunt Mona can't make it," she starts, her voice betraying none of the nervous energy swirling around her.
"She said I could proceed." Her words hang in the air, an uneasy precursor to whatever comes next.
I swallow hard, my heart thudding in my chest. I can feel my palms sweating.
Mirelle stands there for a moment, collecting herself. She seems to be stalling, but then she blinks, and with a single breath, she blurts it out.
"So, this is Raina and we're getting married."
The words land like a bomb.
Silence.
The kind of silence where even the air feels like it's holding its breath. For a long moment, no one says a word. It's as if the world has paused, frozen in place.
I'm not sure if it's from shock or disbelief, but my heart skips a beat.
Before I can process the weight of her announcement, she adds, "Yeah, and she's pregnant."
The room goes absolutely still.
More silence.
I hear my pulse pounding in my ears, feel the cold sweat on my palms. My mind races, trying to make sense of what's happening. I didn't expect this. I didn't expect Mirelle to just throw this bombshell into the room like it's nothing.
And then—like the calm before a storm—Noelle Alden speaks.
"Mirelle," he says, his voice steady but carrying a sharp edge. He gets off the armrest he'd been lounging on, his movements slow and deliberate.
But there's something in his posture now—something colder—that makes my breath catch in my throat.
Mirelle doesn't flinch. Instead, she moves toward the window, her back to the room, and without a second thought, she jumps.
She leaps through the air as if gravity means nothing to her.
I gasp.
But before she can make her escape, a vine—a massive vine—whips out from the ground, curling around her body and slamming her back to the earth.
I watch in stunned silence as she hits the ground, the vine coiling tightly around her to hold her in place.
I can't breathe.
I take it he's not happy about the news.
"I think," Thieran says beside me, his voice smooth as silk, "we should give them some space."
I blink, still not fully processing what just happened. Mirelle, the poised, collected heir to Alden Island, just jumped out of a window.
And now she's on the ground, restrained by a vine, possibly in pain, but definitely embarrassed.
I look at Thieran, who's holding my hand and leading me away from the madness.
"Well, that was certainly something," he mutters under his breath, and I can't help but laugh softly.
"Yeah," I agree, my own anxiety fading just a little.
"A little... much."