?Chapter 724:


    We had managed to put some distance between us and the guards, darting through the maze of therge garden. Eventually, we found ourselves at the spot where I’d first climbed in.


    Breathing hard, I nced at Martin, worry creeping into my voice. “Martin, can you still make it?” He gave me a determined nod.


    Relief washed over me, and without wasting a second, I reached out to help him scale the wall. Once we were over it, we’d be out of their reach—at least for a little while.


    But to my surprise, Martin, who often seemed delicate and fragile, was surprisingly quick. With a quick push and a sharp kick, he sailed over the wall like it was nothing.


    His movements were smooth, controlled, and he didn’t even seem to be struggling.


    For a moment, I just stood there, dumbfounded. When had Martin gotten so… capable?


    “They’re here!”


    “Freeze! Don’t move!”


    The shouts and the tter of footsteps echoed in the distance, growing louder by the second.


    Martin, perched on top of the wall, peeked over and stretched out a hand toward me, urging, “Come on, hurry up!”


    I snapped out of my daze and didn’t waste another second. Reaching up, I grabbed his hand.


    The instant my fingers brushed his, I was taken aback by the strength in his grip. Before I could even process it, he yanked me up with ease, lifting me over the wall like it was no trouble at all.


    Makenna’s POV:


    We made it over the wall, and without a word, Martin grabbed my hand, ready to make a break for it.


    But in a heartbeat, I yanked my hand out of his grasp.


    The moonlight caught his face, showing a mix of confusion and surprise. I locked eyes with him, my voice sharp as a whip. “Martin, who the hell are you?”


    For a split second, he looked caught off guard, his calm demeanor slipping, reced by a flicker of panic.


    I took a step back, instinctively putting space between us. Something was off—something I should have picked up on long ago. Now, as I thought back, I realized Martin’s presence had always had an air of suspicion.


    Back then, when Antoni and I were in the garden, Martin had appeared out of nowhere to help me. Was that really just chance?


    And the stone that hit Antoni’s arm with such force—could that have been an ident?


    Today, Martin’s actions felt like they belonged to apletely different personpared to how he’d behaved in the pce. Seeing the hesitation in my eyes, Martin grabbed my hand again, urgency dripping from his voice. “Now’s not the time for this. Do you want to get caught?”


    I was about to press him for answers when I turned and saw our pursuers closing in, only a few strides behind.


    Without waiting for me to say a word, Martin yanked me into a full sprint, pulling me along even as I resisted.


    I had no option but to keep up with him, running as fast as I could.


    The wind howled in my ears, my hair a tangled mess as we ran, the relentless chase never easing up.


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