?Chapter 404:


    “Makenna, you have no idea how worried I’ve been these past few days! I’m so relieved to see you awake.”


    “Oh, thank you,” I mumbled absentmindedly, barely acknowledging her words. Now that she saw I was fine, what would her next move be? How would she try to force a miscarriage? Poison? Something more subtle?


    The thought gnawed at me. Why did Molly want Lily to ensure I lost my baby? I carried Bryan’s child, and she had yton’s. What possible threat could I pose to her? No matter how I turned it over in my mind, nothing added up.


    And then, something even stranger crept into my thoughts—Molly had once been one of Kristina’s followers, and with the Harrison family close to the king, they surely knew the risks of carrying a Lycan’s child. If Molly understood how dangerous this pregnancy could be, why would she go to such lengths to conceive?


    These unanswered questions left me frowning deeply.


    Lily waved her hand in front of my face, breaking my focus. “Makenna, what’s on your mind?”


    I snapped back to the present. I couldn’t afford for Lily to realize I was onto them. If she caught even the slightest hint, they’d grow more cautious, and my chance to expose them would vanish.


    “Nothing,” I said, forcing a small smile. I kept my tone light, as if the weight of the world hadn’t justnded squarely on my shoulders. “Thank you for being here, Lily. Really, I’m okay.”


    Lily smiled back, nodding earnestly. “Makenna, we’re friends. You don’t need to thank me.”


    Friends? I found the word bitterly ironic. I gave her a strained smile and let the conversation die there.


    Alice, sitting nearby, noticed something odd in my demeanor. Picking up on the tension, she spoke up politely but firmly. “Lily, I think you came at the wrong time. Makenna just took her medicine, and she needs to rest now. I’ll stay with her and make sure she’sfortable. You’ve been running yourself ragged thesest few days. You should get some rest too.”


    Your next story begins at  .


    Lily hesitated, her eyes flicking over to me. I cooperated, stifling a yawn and making a show of being overwhelmingly tired.


    “Alright, Makenna,” Lily finally said, adjusting my nket before leaving the room.


    As soon as the door closed, Alice leaned in close, her face tight with concern. “Makenna, what’s going on? Things between you and Lily seemed off.”


    With a sigh, I ryed the entire conversation I had overheard that night. When I finished, Alice’s eyes zed with fury. She shot up from her chair, mming her fist against the edge of the bed. “That conniving snake! I can’t believe her! I need to confront her—right now!”


    I grabbed her arm before she could storm out. “Alice, don’t. You can’t act on impulse,” I warned, my voice firm. cing a hand on my abdomen, I spoke slowly. “If they want me to miscarry, I think… I can use this chance to let go of this child.”


    Alice stared at me, horrified. “But… you can’t seriously be thinking of going through with it? That could—could kill you.”


    I shook my head. “No. They won’t risk my life. If I die, it raises too many suspicions. They can’t afford that kind of fallout.” I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Besides… this pregnancy already puts my life in danger, doesn’t it?”


    Alice fell silent, her face stricken.


    “This could be my only chance to expose Molly and her plot,” I continued softly, “and catch them all in one go.”


    But even as Iid out my n, a dull ache gripped my heart. That dream… it was only a dream, right? And yet, the idea of letting go of this baby tore at something deep inside me. For the first time, I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was. I felt utterly lost.


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