?Chapter 180:


    Makenna’s POV:


    After Alice and I sealed our n, I wasted no time and headed straight for Kristina’s vi.


    Kristina, favored above all by Leonardo, had been granted a luxurious vi within the pce grounds. The ce was dripping in opulence, surrounded by lush gardens that seemed to stretch forever, and even boasting a courtyard with a fountain that whispered of extravagance and meticulous design.


    I waited at the entrance, my patience unwavering. Soon enough, a maid appeared, her demeanorced with disdain as she rudely barked, “Follow me.”


    I maintained myposure and trailed behind her up to the vi’s top floor.


    A sprawling swimming pool dominated the entire floor. Kristina was lounging under a massive parasol, reclined on a deck chair, savoring fruit that Molly was feeding her while she hummed a carefree tune.


    When she noticed me, she didn’t bat an eye, continuing her leisure as though I were nothing more than a ghost. I halted in front of her, yet she persisted in her act, treating me as though I were invisible. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed me with mockery dripping from her voice. “What is that vile stench? It is enough to turn my stomach.”


    Molly joined in, a sycophant to the core. “Some people just bring that with them. Miss Harrison, you will have to endure the smell of these lowlifes for a while.”


    I remained as unruffled as still water, letting their insults roll off me like rain on stone, my expression a mask of indifference.


    When I refused to take the bait, Kristina’s smug look faltered for a heartbeat, but she quickly recovered, settling back with her eyes closed, refusing to even nce in my direction.


    I stood there silently, bathed in the zing sun, watching her without speaking.


    Minutes ticked by, and when it became evident that she did not acknowledge me, I arched an eyebrow and made to leave.


    But just as I turned, Kristina’s voice, now tinged with anger, rang out.


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    “Makenna! Where do you think you are going?”


    I paused mid-step, not bothering to turn around as I answered coolly, “If you refuse to acknowledge my presence, then I see no reason to remain.”


    I knew her game—she wanted to make me wait, to force me into submission as part of her petty power y. But I had no intention of dancing to her tune. As long as I stood my ground, it would be her resolve that crumbled first.


    Kristina’s anger red, and she spat, “Makenna, who do you think you are? Letting you in was already an act of grace!”


    A smirk tugged at my lips as I turned back to face her, my expression one of amused disdain.


    “You invited me in, said nothing, and now you will not let me leave. How am I to divine your intentions?”


    “Sharp-tongued wretch!” Kristina hissed, her face contorting with fury.


    But she quicklyposed herself, lifting her chin with an air of superiority. “So, Makenna, have you finally thought it through?”


    As she spoke, she produced my mother’s ne, dangling it in front of me like bait. With a theatrical sigh, she added, “Who can say if this ne will ever find its way back to its rightful owner?”


    Seeing my mother’s ne in her hands made my heart twist painfully.


    The distance between us was too great for me to see if the ne was damaged, but I knew to Kristina, it was nothing more than a tool for her cruel games, likely tossed around carelessly.


    My thoughts drifted to the dream I had of my mother, to the dusty paintings I had recovered. A wave of longing and sadness washed over me, and I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath topose myself.


    I must get that ne back!


    Resolving to stay focused on my goal, I swallowed my anger and fixed Kristina with a calm, unwavering gaze. “I agree to your terms,” I said, my eyes locked on the ne in her hand. “As long as you return my mother’s ne to me.”


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