A violent commotion rippled through the crowd. Daniel turned toward me, disgust flashing across his face before being replaced by a raging fury.
"What are you doing here?" he growled. "Get out!"
My father stepped onto the altar as well, his face rigid with anger. He didn't even look into my eyes, instead addressing the room at large. "You've got some nerve! A nanny we kicked out, and you dare show up to cause trouble? Security! Get her out!"
Whispers spread like a plague. Daniel and my father turned to Luna almost simultaneously, whispering frantic questions, their eyes filled with protective concern—as if she were the victim who had been startled. I felt the space around me warping; a thousand eyes of denial were trying to melt me away.
In that split second, I lunged toward the best man. Before he could react, my hand slammed into his wrist. The ring box flew from his grip, and the gold band hit the floor with a sharp, metallic strike.
I lunged forward, dropping to my knees on the wooden floor. Before anyone could react, I snatched the ring. I squeezed it in my palm, clutching it like the very lifeblood that had been stolen from me. In that moment, the touch of the cold metal finally made me feel as if I possessed a physical form again.
The room went still. My mother was looking at me.
"…Evelyn?" she whispered.
In that heartbeat, I could hear my heart thumping against my ribs—a real, powerful rhythm. The Professor's plan was working! My mother recognized me!
I stood up, sensing someone approaching. That familiar warmth, that scent of faint woodsmoke—it was Nathan.
He was so close to me, his presence nearly pressing against my back. The aura I had relied on for so long as my only refuge brought a surge of immense relief. Shaking, I turned to him and held out my clenched hand as if presenting the ultimate trophy of our victory.
"I got it," I breathed, my voice a tiny whisper only we could hear. "Nathan, look. I got it."
Nathan finally reached out. But he never looked into my eyes.
His fingers were icy as they clamped around my wrist—the grip was no longer a shield, but a clinical restraint. Then, swiftly and decisively, he tore the ring from my sweaty palm. The force was so sudden that the edge of the band left a stinging red mark across my skin.
Before a smile could even form on my face, my hand was left suspended in mid-air, empty and trembling.
He walked straight past me with steady steps toward the altar. In front of every guest in the room, he dropped to one knee and gently placed the ring into Luna's outstretched hand.
"Here," I heard him murmur to her. "It's yours."
A collective sigh of relief filled the room. Nathan turned to the security guards closing in and gave a sharp nod.
"Get her out of here. She's disrupting the ceremony."
I stood frozen in place. My hands were empty, and my gaze had lost its anchor. My line of defense had snapped.