With a melodic tone, Isabela added,

“Practically everything’s ready! The invitations have been ordered, the dress is fitted, the ceremony is set… I’m going to be the happiest bride in the world. And now, being pregnant… it’s like fate is smiling on me.”

Celina shrank slightly in her chair. Outwardly, she kept her composure, but inside, it felt as if her very bones were splintering under the weight of the moment. Humiliation seeped into the deepest corners of her soul. She tried to breathe normally, but the air never seemed enough. She wanted to disappear. She wanted this to be nothing more than a nightmare—one she could wake from and find herself far, far away from here.

Thor dropped his silverware onto the table with a sharp clink. Everyone turned toward him. His face was expressionless, but his eyes… his eyes were dark.

“Isabela… you should have consulted me before putting all of this out there,” he said firmly. “This dinner was supposed to be a reception, not an announcement.”

“Lov