?Chapter 668:


    After a while, he shared calmly, “My sister… she passed away.”


    Makenna’s POV:


    Martin’s elder sister was dead?


    The realization of my slip hit me like a thunderp, and I scrambled to apologize. “I’m sorry, Martin. I… I didn’t mean to bring up something so personal.”


    Martin offered a small, resigned smile, one that barely masked the shadow of old wounds. “It’s fine,” he said softly, as if rehearsing the words for himself. “It’s all in the past.”


    His attempt to brush it off only deepened my guilt. He was clearly trying to appear calm, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. Not wanting to risk making things worse, I decided to steer the conversation into safer waters.


    “Martin, how did you end up working at the pce?”


    His eyes lit up, a mischievous glint recing the mncholy. “Why don’t you take a guess?”


    That glint in his eye—it startled me. For a fleeting moment, he reminded me of the wizard, the one whose shadow seemed to linger in my mind.


    My pulse quickened before I shook the absurd thought away. Surely I was overthinking it. How could I randomly associate someone else with that wizard? Martin and the wizard were nothing alike.


    I smiled faintly and sighed. “I’m terrible at guessing games. Stop being coy and just tell me!”


    Martin chuckled, the sound light and unbothered. “Alright, alright. It’s simple, really. My family was struggling, and I thought working at the pce would bring in some much-needed money.”


    His voice softened as he added, “And… I also wanted to help my sister’s child.”


    That gave me pause. “Your sister’s child? Are they working at the pce too?”


    He hesitated, his gaze dropping as if deliberating how much to reveal. Finally, he said, “Sort of.”


    Sort of? The vagueness of his answer only intrigued me further. I opened my mouth to press him, but a sudden creak of footsteps from the stairs drew my attention.


    Evie appeared at the top of the staircase, her hair tousled from sleep, her steps slow.


    She rubbed at her eyes like a child waking from a dream, and I immediately felt a pang of guilt for disturbing her. “Evie, did we wake you? I’m so sorry.”


    She shook her head, her voice still heavy with sleep. “No, I usually wake up around this time anyway.”


    Her gaze shifted to Martin, and a flicker of surprise crossed her features. Then she asked in confusion, “Makenna, who is he?”


    I reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “This is Martin Chadwick.”


    I spoke with a smile, then turned to Martin. “Martin, meet Evie Hampton. She’s a close friend of mine.”


    Martin’s smile was warm as he inclined his head politely. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hampton.”


    But Evie’s reaction was odd. Her brows furrowed tightly, as though something about him unsettled her. Perhaps she simply felt uneasy about a male stranger suddenly appearing here.


    Sensing her difort, I added quickly, “Don’t worry, Evie. Martin’s helped me before—he’s a good man.”


    “It was nothing,” Martin interjected humbly. “Really, Miss Hampton, you have nothing to worry about. I’m just here for some breakfast and a chat with Miss Dunn.”


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