#Chapter 421: A Past Together

Nina With a deep breath, I made my way up the grand staircase and down the hall toward my mother’s room. The sounds of my footsteps were muffled by the intricate carpet that lined the hallway, and the house was oddly quiet. It seemed as though the major preparations for the party had finished for the day, or perhaps it just felt quieter because of my own anxiety. When I stopped in front of the large wooden door, I hesitated for a moment, biting my lip. My mother and I had always had a strained relationship growing up. It wasn’t until recently, when the truth finally came out about my biological family, that it started to make sense. We were always trying to reconcile it, trying to get to know each other better, but sometimes it felt like we would take two steps forward and one step back. But finally, I steeled my nerves and raised my hand. I knocked gently on the door, the sound echoing softly in the hallway. A moment later, my mother’s voice called out from inside, “Com