Chapter 26
Zora
The sound of someone humming pulls me reluctantly toward consciousness. It is entirely too cheerful for eight o'clock in the morning.
I bury my face deeper into the pillow, determined to ignore it, but a second later the unmistakable sound of my suite door opening reaches me. Whoever it is doesn't bother knocking. The footsteps are light, confident, and completely unbothered by the possibility that I might still be asleep.
I already know who it is before she speaks.
"Absolutely not." Aurelia's voice fills the room, bright and far too energetic for someone planning a wedding. "We are not starting the day like this."
I groan without opening my eyes. "I wasn't aware there was a wrong way to sleep."
"There is when you're my Maid of Honor."
I hear the curtains being pulled apart before sunlight floods the room, forcing me to squint.
"Aurelia." I mutter, throwing an arm over my face. "I survived a plane crash, spent days running through a jungle, got shot at by what felt like half a private army, and somehow managed not to lose my mind. Surely that earns me one morning where I get to sleep until noon."
She laughs, completely unmoved by my suffering. "No."
"You're incredibly heartless."
"I've been told."
I reach blindly for the pillow beside me and drag it over my face, determined to salvage whatever dignity I have left.
"I'll see you in three hours."
"You'll see me in three minutes."
The pillow disappears. I open one eye just in time to watch Aurelia toss it onto a nearby chair with a satisfied smile.
"Traitor." I accuse.
She folds her arms. "Drama isn't going to save you."
"I wasn't being dramatic."
"You sighed like a Victorian widow."
"I have earned the right."
"You've earned breakfast." She walks over to the edge of the bed and sits beside me, the teasing smile softening into something warmer.
"You really scared me, you know." The words are quiet enough that they catch me off guard.
I push myself up slowly, wincing when my ankle reminds me it still exists.
"I know."
"When Keith left, nobody knew where you were. Every hour that passed..." She shakes her head before looking down at her hands. "I kept thinking about that phone call. I kept wondering if that was the last time I was ever going to hear your voice."
I reach over and squeeze her hand. "I'm sorry."
She immediately looks up. "No." Her expression turns serious. "You are never apologizing for surviving."
"I know, but…"
"No." She points a finger at me. "That conversation is over."
A smile tugs at my lips. "Bossy."
"I've been spending too much time around Keith."
"No." I say with a laugh. "Keith asks politely before threatening people."
She gasps dramatically. "I do not threaten people."
"You absolutely do."
"You." She drags the word, holding that finger right in front of my face. "You volunteered to be my Maid of Honor."
"I was emotionally manipulated."
"You cried when I asked."
"I did not."
She beams, clearly pleased with herself. Before I can think of another excuse to stay in bed, she tosses a folded outfit onto the mattress.
"Twenty minutes."
I groan as she laughs her way out of the room.
By the time I leave my suite, Elysian Haven has fully come alive. Staff members hurry across the courtyards carrying flowers, linens, and decorative pieces while gardeners make final adjustments to the pathways overlooking the ocean.
Somewhere in the distance I can hear musicians rehearsing, their instruments drifting across the morning breeze, and every corner of the resort seems to buzz with the quiet excitement that only comes before a wedding.
It's strange. Only yesterday I was sleeping beneath a cliff with a knife tucked beside me. Now I'm surrounded by white roses, polished marble, and people debating floral arrangements.
"You've gone quiet." Aurelia says as we walk.
I glance around the resort before answering. "I'm still getting used to all of this. It feels strange going from fighting for my life to pretending everything's normal again."
She slips her arm through mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
"It doesn't have to feel normal today. Just let yourself breathe. The island is over, you're home, and the only thing you're allowed to worry about now is making it to my wedding without causing another international incident."
A laugh escapes me. "That's a very specific request."
"I know you."
"And if I refuse?"
She smiles. "Then I'll distract you with cake."
The private tasting room overlooks one of the resort's lagoons, sunlight pouring through floor-to-ceiling windows and reflecting off rows of beautifully arranged desserts. Long tables are covered with pastries, cakes, plated entrées, sparkling drinks, and enough food to feed a small country.
I stop in the doorway. "This is a tasting?"
Theo looks up dramatically from the table. "There she is! Babe, you abandoned us to make life-changing dessert decisions alone."
"I was asleep."
"You were unavailable. Emotionally. Spiritually."
"I was unconscious."
"Girl, excuses."
Vanya laughs, handing me a cup of coffee as she walks over. "I've been ignoring him for twenty minutes. You're welcome."
"I appreciate your sacrifice."
She smiles before nodding toward the endless display of desserts.
Aurelia is already standing beside the pastry chef with a notebook, listening with complete seriousness while he explains the first cake. She notices me, immediately cuts him off, and holds out a fork.
"Zora. Try this."
I take a bite of the cake. "It's good."
Theo slowly lowers his fork. "'Good'?"
"What?"
"You survived a private jet crash just to disrespect this pastry chef."
I shrug. "It tastes good."
Aurelia folds her arms. "That's not helpful."
I gesture vaguely toward the table, surrounded by more desserts than I think any sane person could finish in a week.
"I spent the last several days surviving on fruit and whatever Nico could find in the jungle. At this point, everything here tastes incredible."
Theo's head snaps toward me so fast I'm surprised he doesn't get whiplash. "Nico?" He repeats.
I blink, trying, and failing, to look casual. "What?"
He carefully sets his fork down. "Who is Nico?"
I sigh. "The man who was stranded with me."
"The man." Theo repeats slowly, exchanging a look with Aurelia.
"Yes."
"The one you've somehow never mentioned until just now?"
I point my fork at him. "Don't."
"Oh, girl." A grin spreads across his face. "I'm absolutely going to."
Aurelia rests her chin against her hand, watching me with obvious amusement. "I was wondering when his name would come up."
I groan. "There is nothing to wonder about."
Theo gasps dramatically. "Nothing? Babe, you just casually dropped a man's name like we've all known him for years."
"It slipped."
"Mhm." He says, unconvinced.
Aurelia nods beside him. "It definitely sounded like it slipped."
I look from one to the other before narrowing my eyes. "I've survived armed mercenaries. I can survive the two of you."
Theo leans back in his chair, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Oh, she's defensive."
"I'm not defensive."
"You're using your boardroom voice, baby."
Steven chuckles quietly into his coffee while Vanya presses her lips together, clearly trying not to laugh.
"You know," Vanya says, "he must've made quite an impression if his name came out that naturally."
"It came out because we spent days trying not to die together."
Theo places a hand dramatically against his chest. "That’s so romantic."
I drop my forehead into my hand with a groan. "I cannot believe I'm being interrogated over cake."
"No." Theo corrects with a grin. "You're being interrogated over Nico."
Laughter ripples around the table.
Despite every intention of defending myself, I can't stop the reluctant smile tugging at my lips. After everything the past week had thrown at us, sitting here being mercilessly teased by people I loved felt strangely comforting.
For the first time in days, life almost felt normal again.
The rest of the afternoon disappears in a blur of wedding preparations.
One appointment blends seamlessly into the next as florists arrive with endless arrangements of roses and peonies, decorators spread fabric samples and table designs across every available surface, and the tailor insists on yet another fitting for the rich chocolate-brown gown Aurelia had chosen for me.
Through it all, Theo somehow finds the energy to passionately debate flower arrangements and ribbon colors as though the fate of the entire wedding depends on every decision.
By the time the final vendor leaves, my feet ache almost as much as my injured ankle, but the constant laughter, teasing, and effortless chaos have made the hours pass far faster than I'd expected.
For the first time since the crash, my mind has spent an entire afternoon focused on something other than survival.
Later that evening, Aurelia leads me to one of the private terraces overlooking the sea.
"My parents have been asking about you all day."
"I hope only good things."
"They're just excited to finally meet you."
The moment we step onto the terrace, several people rise to greet us.
Hazel reaches me first, wrapping me in a warm hug before introducing herself.
Beside her, Declan offers a firm handshake and a kind smile, telling me how relieved they all are that I'm safe.
They simply welcome me as though I'd always belonged with them.
Killian, on the other hand, proves almost immediately that he's Aurelia's brother.
"So you're the famous Zora." He says with an easy grin. "I've heard you survived a plane crash, an island full of mercenaries, and somehow agreed to help with wedding planning. I'm honestly not sure which one impresses me most."
I laugh. "I'm beginning to think the wedding might be the most dangerous."
"See?" He points at me triumphantly. "I like her already."