?Chapter 405:


    Molly’s POV:


    When I first heard that Makenna had copsed and been rushed to the hospital, I couldn’t hide my delight. I quickly sent Lily to check on her, silently hoping that Makenna would just die there, saving me the trouble of doing it myself.


    It wasn’t long before Lily returned from Makenna’s room, and I signaled to her from the shadows. Lily hurried over, and I wasted no time. “How is she?” I dragged her into a secluded corner, my voice betraying my anxious need for answers.


    A glint of frustration crossed Lily’s face before she replied, “Makenna is fine, and so is the baby.”


    Makenna had made it through unscathed! I felt a brief stab of disappointment, but it quickly shifted into smug satisfaction. Her health was clearly on a decline, just as the rumors had suggested. Carrying a Lycan’s child was weakening her—it was only a matter of time.


    But Lily’s next question snapped me out of my thoughts. “Molly, you’re pregnant with Prince yton’s baby now. Why do you still want Makenna to lose hers?”


    Why? My fists clenched, rage surging through me. Because even though Makenna carried Bryan’s child, yton still cared for her! If she gave birth, even if Makenna died, I couldn’t be sure yton wouldn’t show some twisted affection for the child. I couldn’t let that happen. Everything about Makenna needed to vanish if I was to have peace.


    Besides, the child’s existence posed a threat to yton’s path to the throne. If I could clear the way for him, eliminating Bryan’s and Dominic’s heirs in the process, I knew yton would owe me everything. A smile tugged at my lips as I relished the thought.


    Of course, I wasn’t about to share these ambitions with Lily. She was too naive, too easily led by others. She wasn’t worthy of knowing my true motives.


    I softened my expression and gave her a warm smile. “I have my reasons, Lily. Your job is simple: find a way to mix the medicine I gave you into Makenna’s food. That’s all you need to do.”


    Lily’s eyes hardened with determination as she nodded. “I’ll handle it. You can count on me, Molly.”


    Pleased with her obedience, I gave a satisfied smile. With everythingid out, I decided it was time to leave before anyone spotted us together.


    “Molly,” Lily called out, her voiceced with hesitation. “I don’t understand. Makenna’s health has been declining ever since she got pregnant, but she was perfectly healthy before. Do you know why?”


    Her question made me pause. My mind shed back to what I had learned from the Harrison family—how the Lycan’s genes were so potent that carrying one of their offspring could drain a mother’s life force, leaving her weak or even killing her.


    I unconsciously ced a hand on my own abdomen. I was different. My child wouldn’t harm me because the baby I carried wasn’t yton’s. I loved yton, yes, but not enough to risk my own life. A coldugh escaped my lips. My baby wasn’t his, but I had ways to make him believe it was.


    I looked at Lily and offered a casual excuse. “Lily, pregnancy can make ady weak. Do not overthink it. I have other things to do, so I’ll be leaving now.”


    Before departing, I gave Lily one more look. After Makenna was dealt with, Lily would be next. She had been useful, but she knew too much, and if she ever betrayed me, it would ruin everything.


    Makenna’s POV:


    After days of rest, my strength had returned, but the doctor remained insistent on keeping me for observation. Lying in that sterile hospital bed, the monotony was unbearable. My mind kept drifting to thoughts I tried hard to push away.


    I couldn’t stand being cooped up any longer, so I slipped out of the ward to clear my head, wandering through the garden beneath the hospital. The air was fresh, the greenery soothing, but my mind was elsewhere.


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