?Chapter 236:


    With a reluctant nod, I turned to Lily. “You can take a break. I can handle this.”


    Lily nodded and, with onest curious nce at Molly, headed upstairs.


    Once we were alone, I sat opposite Molly, cutting straight to the chase. “Enough with the games. What exactly do you want?”


    Though she was seated on the sofa, Molly still seemed ufortable, huddling slightly as if she were trying to make herself smaller. She looked pitiful and harmless, but I wasn’t fooled. I knew this was just a front.


    “Miss Dunn,” she began, her fingers lightly brushing over the file in herp, “I want to propose a coboration.”


    Coboration?


    Did she even know what she was saying?


    She was aligned with Kristina, and Kristina and I were practically mortal enemies. And now she wanted to talk about coborating with me? It had to be some kind of trap.


    I couldn’t help butugh, the sound dripping with sarcasm. “Does Kristina know you’re here? Or did she send you to me?”


    Makenna’s POV:


    “Of course, she doesn’t know. How else would I daree to you?” Molly replied, her slight smile tinged with bitterness.


    She continued, “Kristina is currently under investigation by the king. However, the king has always favored the Harrison family. Right now, it’s just rumors swirling around. Without solid evidence, I’m afraid the matter will simply fizzle out.”


    As Molly spoke, her earlier meekness seemed to dissolve, revealing a steely resolve. I recalled the scene I witnessed yesterday—Molly being beaten and scolded by Kristina, her face bruised, her forehead red from the assault.


    It was brutal, demeaning. I remembered Alice asking me if Molly would ever fight back. It seemed like today,ing to me, was her way of fighting back.


    I arched an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. “And then?”


    Molly calmly poured herself a ss of water. After a sip, she looked at me with a knowing smile. “Miss Dunn, you’re a sharp woman. You already know why I’m here. You’re right—I want to propose a partnership. Let’s bring Kristina down together.”


    The room fell into a tense silence. I didn’t reply, and Molly didn’t push further. The air was so still that you could hear a pin drop.


    I scrutinized her face, searching for any hint of deception, but she maintained a steady gaze, her expression unreadable.


    Finally, I broke the silence. “Why me? Your family was on the brink of copse and only survived because of the Harrison family. Now you want to take Kristina down. Aren’t you worried about what this could do to your family?”


    A bitter smile crossed Molly’s lips as she lowered her gaze, her voice soft and tinged with despair. “Even the most patient of souls will eventually break if pushed too far. If I don’t act now, she’ll destroy me one day.”


    I couldn’t argue with that.


    Kristina had never treated Molly as an equal, let alone as a human being. The bruises on Molly’s face were likely just the surface of her suffering. The beatings, the humiliation—it was all probably much worse than what I had witnessed.


    If Molly was desperate enough to betray Kristina, maybe she was telling the truth.


    Molly seemed to gather her strength as she looked back at me, determination hardening her features. “With the king investigating her, I see this as my chance—my only chance—to escape her control.”


    I kept my expression neutral, though my mind was racing. Finally, I let out a dryugh. “You’re wasting your time with me. I’m just a sex ve. Kristina could end my life with a single word.”


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