?Chapter 403:


    I lowered my eyes, unable to face either of them. The weight of their stares pressed down on me, suffocating in the silence. Atst, after what felt like an eternity, I spoke, my voice low and weary.


    “I’m exhausted. I need to rest.”


    For the briefest moment before they left, I thought I saw a flicker of sadness in both Bryan’s and Dominic’s eyes. They lingered on me intently, but said nothing more, turning away in quiet defeat. Their shoulders seemed to sag as they slipped from the room.


    The moment the door clicked shut, the dam inside me broke. The tears I had fought so hard to hold back spilled freely, soaking the pillow beneath me as I curled into myself on the hospital bed. Silent sobs wracked my chest, leaving me trembling.


    Alice sat close, her hand patting my back gently, her expression mirroring the pain etched in my heart.


    “Makenna, are you alright?”


    I shook my head, my chest aching, my vision blurred by endless tears. “Alice, it feels like my heart is being ripped apart. This pain is worse—so much worse—than what I felt when Frank betrayed me.”


    “Makenna…” Alice’s voice cracked, her own eyes reddening. She clutched my hand tightly, as though trying to share the burden of my grief. “Don’t cry over those men. They aren’t worth it. They’re just scum.”


    Alice’s words slowly soothed the chaos within me, reminding me that at least I wasn’t facing this alone. I wiped away my tears and gave her a grateful smile.


    “Thank you, Alice. You always stay by my side when everything falls apart.”


    “Don’t mention it. We’re friends,” Alice replied with a soft, warm smile, though her expression soon darkened with concern. “But Makenna, what are you going to do? The Lycan’s descendants… they’re dangerous. This fainting spell is only the first sign.”


    Her words brought back the memory of that dream—the fragile child’s embrace, the warmth that clung to my heart like an unshakable bond. My conviction about not carrying the child began to waver. Could it be possible to protect this tiny life without sacrificing my own?


    Lаt?st chαpt?rs in g?lnov?ls.?οm


    Alice seemed to sense the storm in my thoughts. She squeezed my hand gently, her expression filled with quiet understanding. “Makenna, if there were a way to have the baby safely, don’t you think the princes—who clearly care about you—would do everything they could to find it?”


    I bit my lip and nodded faintly, my heart weighed down with defeat. “I need to think about it.”


    Just then, a gentle knock interrupted the moment, followed by Lily’s soft voice outside the door. “Makenna, it’s me, Lily.”


    The memory of that night—Lily and Molly plotting together—rushed back like ice water down my spine, sending a cold shiver through me. I didn’t want to see her. I feared what she might try to do. But with Alice beside me, I summoned the strength to face her.


    “Come in,” I said, bracing myself.


    The door creaked open, and Lily stepped inside. A bright smile lit her face, but for a fleeting instant, I caught a flicker of disappointment in her eyes—a shadow that quickly vanished, though I could not ignore it.


    Makenna’s POV:


    The brief flicker of disappointment in Lily’s eyes sent a cold wave through me. Was she upset that I hadn’t lost the baby? As I wrestled with the turmoil inside, Lily had already closed the distance between us, her expression filled with feigned concern.


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