?Chapter 874:


    I waited, listening. The guards assigned to this area were currently patrolling the opposite side. This was it.


    Taking a deep breath, I grasped the windowsill, my fingers tightening against the cool surface as I hoisted myself up. With a silent, fluid movement, I slipped inside,nding lightly on my feet.


    But the moment I did, footsteps echoed from just outside the room.


    My heart sank to my boots.


    The door—damn it, the door was still open! If anyone passed by, I’d be caught instantly!


    Panic surged through me, but I forced myself to react. Without a second thought, I pressed myself against the wall behind the door, hardly daring to breathe.


    I listened—heart pounding, body tense—as the footsteps slowly faded into the distance. Only when silence settled did I dare to move. Staying close to the wall, I crept toward the staircase, my sights set on the second floor.


    But just as I crouched at the base of the stairs, preparing to ascend to the third floor, a new sound sent ice down my spine. Marching. A synchronized rhythm of heavy boots against the floor, approaching fast from the corridor ahead. A patrol.


    At the same time, another set of footsteps echoed from behind me.


    I turned sharply—another group of soldiers, closing in.


    My breath caught in my throat.


    I was trapped! No escape, nowhere to hide. Cold dread mped around my chest as I braced myself for the inevitable.


    But just as the soldiers drew closer, something unexpected happened. A hand shot out from behind me, mping over my mouth. Before I could react, I was yanked backward with startling force into the darkness of a nearby storage room.


    Who?


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    I twisted, struggling instinctively against my captor.


    “Keep struggling, and you’ll get yourself caught. Trespassing in an official’s office is a serious offense. Punishable by court-martial,” a low, familiar voice murmured against my ear.


    I froze.


    That voice—Alden? Shocked, I turned sharply, my gaze locking onto his.


    What was he doing here?


    Makenna’s POV:


    The sound of soldiers’ footsteps gradually faded away, dissolving into the silent corridor like mist at dawn.


    Alden’s scorching body heat seeped through our clothing, enveloping me in an unwee cocoon of warmth. I shifted ufortably, my voice barely above a whisper. “Let go of me.”


    His lips curled into a mischievous smile as he pinched my cheek yfully. “This storage room barely has enough space to breathe. Even if I let go, where could you possibly escape to?”


    His words made me acutely aware of our cramped surroundings—the storage room cluttered with various items, leaving just enough space for our bodies to stand pressed together.


    We were so close I could feel the whisper of his breath against my skin, heightening my difort with each passing second.


    I turned away to escape his prating gaze that seemed to strip away my defenses. “The soldiers outside should be gone by now, right? Can I leave?”


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