?Chapter 276:


    “Lily, it’s not that we…”


    We tried to exin, but she forced a smile, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s alright. You don’t owe me an exnation. I’ll get started on lunch.”


    She turned away, cutting off our attempt to bridge the gap.


    As I watched her retreat, a sigh escaped my lips, heavy with the weight of unspoken words.


    Alice gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. “Get some rest. We can clear things up with Lily when the time is right.”


    I nodded, the exhaustion sinking deeper into my bones. All I wanted now was to escape into sleep.


    Back in my room, I wrapped myself tightly in the quilt, but theyers of cotton provided no warmth. Iy there, staring at the ceiling, feeling as if an icy wind blew through my very soul.


    The stillness of the room amplified my thoughts, sending me spiraling into a whirlpool of sorrow until sleep finally imed me.


    In the fog of dreams, I saw yton. I reached out, desperate to exin, but he recoiled, his eyes filled with a bitterness that cut deeper than any de.


    “Makenna, I regret ever trusting you. From now on, I don’t want to see you again. Leave.”


    His words, so unlike the gentleness I once knew, were cold and unyielding, slicing through my heart like a knife. The pain of his rejection jolted me awake.


    “yton…” I curled up, tears spilling from the corners of my eyes, soaking into the pillow beneath my head. As Iy there, silently sobbing, a noise from downstairs pierced through my grief, dragging me back to reality.


    I sat up, my movements sluggish with exhaustion, and wiped at my tear-streaked face. It was damp and cold to the touch.


    “yton…” His name slipped from my lips again, my fingers instinctively clutching the token he had given me. I traced its unique pattern, feeling a profound sense of loss and confusion. The memory of the dream still fresh, my heart ached with renewed sorrow.


    But themotion downstairs grew louder, demanding my attention. What on earth was happening now?


    I sshed some water on my face, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, and hurried downstairs. There, at the door, I saw my father, pushing and arguing with Lily and Alice. His voice boomed, “Where is Makenna? Get her out here! I need to see her!”


    Alice stood firm, blocking his way. “She’s resting, so fuck off! Don’t you dare disturb her!”


    “What does it have to do with you…” My father started to snap back but fell silent as he spotted me descending the stairs.


    He red at me, his anger barely contained. “So you finally decided to show your face, you ingrate! I assumed you wouldn’t dare to see me.”


    The moment Iid eyes on my father, it was clear he was here because of yesterday’s incident at the bar. I approached him with a scornful smile. “Why wouldn’t I dare to see you? I haven’t done anything wrong.”


    My father’s voice was thick with anger. “How dare you say that! Your actions caused Frank and Jessica immense suffering from Bryan’s punishment! And your mother was kicked so hard that two of her ribs were broken. She is still recovering in the hospital!”


    Irene was seriously injured? She deserved it! Despite the joy I felt within me, I was irate over my father’s tant shamelessness.


    .


    .


    .