?Chapter 331:


    “Wait a second, this is my house,” I cut in, sensing the brewing tension. “Let’s not turn this into apetition—”


    But before I could finish, Bryan shot me a warning look, a sharpness in his eyes that froze my words in my throat. I sighed, shaking my head as they started pouring drinks. There was no stopping them now.


    With the three of them locked in their drinking contest, I turned my attention to Alice, Lily, and Molly, engaging in light conversation to distract myself.


    Though I remained cautious around Molly, I had to admit she carried herself with grace and had a way with words that drew you in. Despite my suspicions, it was hard to ignore her charm. As we chatted, someone brought up Kristina’s name.


    The moment Kristina was mentioned, my thoughts immediately turned to my mother’s ne. My heart sank, and the mood soured for me.


    I hesitated for a moment before quietly asking, “Molly, the ne my mother left behind… Kristina took it. Do you know what happened to it?”


    Molly’s face clouded with regret, and she let out a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid that ne was destroyed. Kristina didn’t care about its value or significance. I tried to stop her, but…” She trailed off, a resigned look in her eyes.


    I wasn’t surprised. Kristina was always ruthless, so hearing that she destroyed the ne wasn’t a shock, but it didn’t stop the ache in my chest. That ne had been the only tangible piece of my mother I had left. Now, it was gone, and I hadn’t been able to protect it. Feeling the weight of loss, I reached for my ss and took a long drink.


    Alice noticed, quickly grabbing the ss from me. “Makenna, don’t. You’re not helping anything by drinking like this,” she said softly, her voice filled with concern.


    Then she shot Molly a sideways nce, her tone turning sharp. “Some people say they tried to help, but I wonder how hard they really tried. It’s easy to pretend you were powerless.”


    Molly didn’t bristle at Alice’s words. Instead, she let out a small, sad smile.


    L??t??τ ?h??ρτ?rs ιn g??l??ov?l??.??оm


    “I understand your frustration. I truly wish I had been able to do more, Makenna.” Then she bowed her head sadly.


    I forced a tight smile. “It’s not your fault. What’s done is done. There’s no point in dwelling on it now.”


    As dinner wore on, the wine flowed freely, and before long, everyone was more than a little tipsy.


    The room swayed around me, and I slumped back onto the sofa, a wave of dizziness hitting me.


    I nced around at the drunken princes and my equally inebriated friends.


    It was a chaotic scene, but at least the vi wasrge enough to amodate them all. I wasn’t sure what I’d have done if there hadn’t been enough space.


    Despite my spinning head, I forced myself up, moving sluggishly around the vi to help everyone settle into their rooms. Once everyone was tucked away, I stumbled back to my own room and copsed onto the bed.


    The exhaustion hit me like a brick wall, and my eyelids grew impossibly heavy.


    Before long, I drifted into sleep, but sometimeter, a strange sensation woke me. I felt hands—fingers moving gently along my body, lingering in ways that sent a chill down my spine.


    Makenna’s POV


    The moment unfamiliar hands touched me, I froze. Before I could scream, a strong grip muffled my voice. The man smelled strongly of alcohol, his body scorching as he crushed me against him. His lips seized mine with a hunger that had clearly been building—a kiss so demanding it stole my breath.


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