?Chapter 722:


    Then, something unusual caught my eye. Through therge, grimy floor-to-ceiling window outside the basement, I noticed the guards posted nearby exchanging hurried nces. Momentster, they slipped away without a word, as if summoned by some sudden, pressing news.


    What could have prompted their abrupt departure? Was Antoni scheming something new?


    My brows knitted together in thought, suspicion bubbling in the back of my mind. Just then, faint footsteps echoed from outside the cell, breaking the heavy stillness. My heartbeat quickened, thudding like a drum.


    Could it be Makenna?


    I felt a surge of nervous anticipation, my gaze fixed on the window as though willing her to appear.


    And then, as if conjured by my thoughts, Makenna’s tall, graceful silhouette emerged outside.


    Her sharp eyes locked onto me instantly, lighting up with relief and excitement. She knocked gently on the window, her expression softening as I managed a faint smile to assure her I was still in one piece.


    Makenna exhaled deeply, her worry melting into determination. She carefully unlocked the cell door and rushed to my side, her gaze scanning me anxiously. “Martin, are you okay? Did they hurt you?”


    I shook my head with a weak smile, trying to downy the situation. “Nothing major. Just a few scrapes—not worth losing sleep over.”


    But as I shifted slightly, a sharp jolt of pain made me suck in a breath, betraying my words.


    Makenna’s face fell, her eyes glistening with guilt.


    “This is all my fault,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “If it weren’t for me, Antoni wouldn’t have done this to you. It’s all because of me.”


    Seeing the regret etched into her delicate features stirred something deep within me. The raw emotion in her eyes sent ripples through my heart, softening my resolve and awakening a flicker of something I hadn’t felt in a long time.


    I frowned, hesitation sweeping over me like an unwee tide. Makenna had always been genuinely kind to me, yet here I was, deceiving her. Could I truly justify this?


    As I wrestled with my thoughts, memories came flooding in—fragments of the bitter, unrelenting blood feud between the white wolf n and the Lycan royal family, mingled with haunting images of Josie’s misery.


    Those memories were like jagged thorns lodged deep in my chest, each one twisting painfully.


    Drawing a steadying breath, I forced myself to stayposed. Masking my turmoil, I softened my voice, letting a hint of vulnerability seep in. “This isn’t your fault. In the grand pce of intrigue and deceit, you’re the only one who sees me as more than a pawn. If I’ve suffered injuries for a true friend, then it’s worth it.”


    I tried to offer her a reassuring smile, weak though it felt, hoping it might ease her guilt.


    But my words seemed to break something within Makenna. Tears spilled freely down her face as she shook her head vehemently, her voice catching in her throat. “No, Martin, it is my fault. I owe you so much. But we can’t stay here, not now. This ce is far too dangerous. We need to leave.”


    Quickly regaining herposure, Makenna moved with urgency, her hands trembling slightly as she began untying the ropes that bound my wrists.


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