Chapter 1576: I’ll be with you every step of the way.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Anteca...

Nina and Finn sat in a private dining room at the restaurant. Earlier that day, they had visited a temple to ask for the most auspicious wedding date based on their star alignments. Nina wanted a mix of tradition and modern flair for the ceremony — so that’s exactly what they were planning.

Afterward, they checked out a few venues they had been eyeing.

Who would’ve thought wedding planning could be this exhausting? Even so, their bodies may have been tired, but their hearts were full.

"That’s all," Finn said to the server with a smile as he finalized their order.

The server nodded politely. "Please let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you," both Nina and Finn replied, watching as the server left the room.

Once the door slid shut, Nina turned to Finn with a thoughtful look. "Finn, I’ve been thinking about the venues... Do you think we should keep looking?"

"Didn’t you like the ones we saw?"

"I did. They were great, actually. But something tells me we haven’t found the one yet."

Finn smiled in understanding. "We’ve still got time before the wedding. Why don’t we let everyone know what date we’re aiming for? Maybe someone will have suggestions."

"That’s not a bad idea," Nina agreed with a grin. "I should message Mom and Aunt Jessa—they asked for updates."

"Mhm." Finn watched as Nina dug through her bag and pulled out her phone to send the messages.

Since losing her job, Nina had plenty of time to explore what she liked. And with Finn also on a long break—occasionally taking calls, visiting his company, or bringing home small tasks—he often drove her around when she needed.

Lately, Nina had been spending a lot of time with Allison, Aunt Jessa, and Finn.

Not that Finn minded—he was still logging hours at Mama’s, Jessa’s and Allison’s restaurant. According to her, it was part of some "welcoming rite," though Finn knew Jessa was just taking advantage of having another set of hands. He also secretly helped Allison with management—something he offered to do, not something she asked of him.

But none of that was on Finn’s mind right now.

Instead, he was thinking about the phone call he received from Penny earlier that morning, right while they were at the temple.

Watching Nina smile as she tapped away at her screen, Finn took a quiet breath and finally said, "Nina."

She hummed, still looking at her phone.

"Penny called this morning."

That got her attention. She looked up slowly. "What did she want?"

"She said she’s dropping by later. She didn’t say much, only that she had a lot to discuss."

Nina pressed her lips into a line and nodded slowly. That piqued her curiosity—Penny wasn’t the type to hold back unless something was serious enough to require a face-to-face conversation.

"Is she okay?" Nina asked cautiously. "Or did something happen?"

"She sounded fine... but I told her I wanted you to be there too."

"Me?" Nina’s brow arched suspiciously. "Why would I need to be involved? If it’s business-related, I don’t mind listening if you want me to. But if this is about me being some kind of unworthy, like what your mother implied—"

"It’s about you, Nina." Finn sighed, reaching across the table and taking her hand. His gaze was gentle, steady. "Specifically... about the woman who gave birth to you."

The moment those words left his mouth, Nina froze. Her breath caught, her eyes slowly widening in shock.

"I told Penny I don’t want to keep you in the dark anymore," Finn continued, his voice laced with concern. "Part of me thinks it’s easier not to tell you anything—ignorance is bliss, right? But... it doesn’t feel right to keep you from knowing."

If this had been Penny’s call, she would’ve kept Nina out of the loop. Not out of malice, but convenience. She hated explanations, especially messy ones. As long as her goals were met, she’d always choose the path of least resistance.

Finn was different.

If he were thinking only of himself, he might’ve done the same. But Nina was his life partner—and deep down, he knew she deserved the truth, no matter how complicated.

"..." Nina studied his face, lips pressed together. "What about her?"

"I don’t know," Finn admitted. "Not yet."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Nina slowly lowered her eyes, trying to figure out how to feel. She had nearly convinced herself that the woman who ambushed her near the garbage disposal area was just a random lunatic. After all, no one had bothered her again after that.

But deep down, she knew it wasn’t a coincidence.

She had Penny — and Finn — to thank for the quiet. Penny had stationed bodyguards to keep that kind of encounter from happening again, and Finn had been the one to tell her. Different approach, but she was grateful regardless.

Nina swallowed and drew a deep breath. Closing her eyes for a moment, she reopened them with quiet resolve and met Finn’s gaze.

"Okay," she whispered, determination flickering in her eyes. "I want to hear what Penny wants to discuss."

"I’m sorry to bring it up like this," Finn said gently, "but knowing Penny, she might show up at our place before we do. I didn’t want it to blindside you."

She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "Don’t be sorry. If anything, thank you... for thinking of me. I’m not exactly thrilled about learning more about someone who was supposed to be dead, which is the only justification for why she’s not in my life, but... a part of me still wants to know."

Why was her mother still alive?

The hospital and the staff confirmed that her mother died of childbirth. How could she still be alive?

Many questions hovered over her head, but she chose not to dwell on them for now.

She gave his hand a firm squeeze. "Besides, I’ve got you. As long as you’re with me, I’ll be okay."

Finn’s expression softened. He lifted her hand and rested his cheek against it before kissing the back of it tenderly.

"I’ll be with you every step of the way."