?Chapter 418:


    “I hope so,” I murmured, though a sliver of doubt lingered.


    Alice gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry. Molly’s clever, but she won’t slip through this time. Prince Bryan will see to that.”


    Her words should have been reassuring, but the heaviness inside me only grew. She squeezed my hand again, this time tugging me toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get some air.”


    Just as we stood, the door flew open with a loud bang. Bryan stormed in, looking frantic, his eyes wild with urgency.


    Makenna’s POV:


    I stood there, too shocked to form a coherent thought. Before I could even react, Bryan appeared in front of me, moving so quickly it felt as if he had materialized out of thin air. His hands gripped my arms tightly, his sharp gaze scanning me for any sign of injury.


    “Makenna, are you alright?”


    I blinked, still trying to process everything. “I’m fine,” I mumbled, confused by the intensity in his eyes.


    The tension in his shoulders eased slightly at my response, but his expression remained stormy. His brows furrowed deeper, the lines of frustration etched firmly across his forehead.


    “Why didn’t you tell me something this important directly?” he demanded.


    It struck me then—Amon must have already reported everything to Bryan. Amon was so efficient. The man did his job almost too well.


    When I didn’t respond, Bryan’s frustration only grew. His voice hardened. “Amon is going to pay for this. How could he withhold something so serious from me?”


    “No, don’t me him!” I cut in quickly, rushing to defend Amon. “I made him do it. This has nothing to do with him.”


    gα?ησν????s?c???? brings imagination alive


    Before I could finish, Alice stepped forward, her voice trembling as if she were close to tears. “It was my fault too. Your Highness, please don’t me Amon.”


    Bryan let out a coldugh. “You really think the two of you could manipte Amon like that? The only reason he helped you was because I ordered him to assist you whenever you needed it.”


    His words rendered me speechless. Amon had been acting under Bryan’s orders from the very start?


    “Then why punish him?” I asked, my voice betraying the confusion I felt. “If he was just following yourmand, why are you still angry?”


    Bryan’s face remained hard, his voice cutting through the air like steel. “Because that fool let you get into danger. He stood by and watched you act recklessly, and that’s something I won’t tolerate.”


    His protective words struck me deeply, melting away the unease in my chest. Maybe Bryan wasn’t as ruthless and unfeeling as I had once believed.


    Still, I continued to plead for Amon’s sake. “It was all me, Bryan. Don’t hold him responsible. He’s innocent in all this…”


    Bryan sighed, his handing up to ruffle my hair in a rare gesture of affection. “Fine. Since you’re asking, I’ll let it go this time.”


    Alice let out a breath of relief, drawing Bryan’s gaze to her. His expression immediately shifted to one of irritation, as if her mere presence was a nuisance he could do without.


    “Why are you still here?” he snapped.


    “I’m leaving now,” she said quickly, offering a small smile before scurrying out and closing the door behind her.


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