?Chapter 688:


    The bitterness of his words cut through me, and I couldn’t stop the faint, wry smile tugging at my lips. Of course, I knew the truth in what he said. But this child… My gaze drifted to the boy’s face, to his wide, unblinking eyes—bright as the morning sun.


    He stared at me with a smile so innocent and pure it could soften the hardest of hearts.


    My heart melted instantly. I leaned closer, gently brushing my cheek against his, nuzzling his tiny, warm face. The words spilled from me in a soft murmur. “Is there really… truly no other way?”


    The room answered me with silence. It stretched on, thick and suffocating, filling every corner and pulling at the growing ache in my chest.


    Alice broke the quiet with a gentle touch on my shoulder. “Makenna, you’ve done more than anyone else would. Honestly, I wouldn’t have dared to defy the king the way you did.”


    Evie chimed in, nodding with conviction. “Exactly! Because of you, this child’s life has already changed for the better. Don’t beat yourself up over what you can’t do.”


    I understood their reassurances, really I did. But every time I looked at the boy, the ache in my chest only grew sharper, piercing through any logic they offered.


    Then, just as the weight of disappointment threatened to consume me, Dominic set his coffee down with a sharp clink.


    The sound shattered the tension like ss, and all eyes turned to him.


    He leaned back, arms crossed, and spoke in that maddeningly casual tone of his. “Actually, it’s not that there’s no way.”


    My breath caught, hope flickering to life. “What do you—”


    Dominic didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His eyes gleamed with a familiar mischief, and I knew exactly what wasing.


    I sighed, already resigned. “What do you want?”


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    Heughed—a low, teasing sound that only deepened my exasperation. “I haven’t decided yet. But since you’re so sharp, I’ll give you a hint.”


    “What hint?” I had to ask.


    He leaned forward slightly, his grin widening. “You can’t adopt him yourself. But that doesn’t mean someone else in the pce can’t.”


    His words hit me like a spark catching dry tinder. I blinked several times as the meaning sank in. “You mean… find someone else here to adopt him?”


    He nodded approvingly, as if saying, “Finally, you get it.”


    My gaze dropped back to the boy in my arms, my brows furrowing. “That might work. But… if the king finds out, will he allow it?”


    Dominic shrugged. “Don’t worry. My father barely notices such things unless it directly affects the royal family. Someone else adopting? He won’t care.”


    Relief swept over me, and I couldn’t stop the small, hopeful smile that spread across my face. Maybe—just maybe—this could work.


    But my brief moment of optimism was quickly cut short when Alice spoke up. “That’s all well and good, but… who? Who could you possibly ask to adopt him?”


    Her words were like a reality check. They snuffed out the flicker of hope I had, like a candle in the wind.


    She was right. Aside from Alice and Evie, I knew no one in the pce well enough to ask for such a monumental favor.


    Makenna’s POV:


    My smile faded, the weight in my chest settling deeper, heavier.


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