?Chapter 1014:


    I fought to contain the storm brewing inside me, but my voice betrayed me with the slightest tremor. “Makenna might be in danger. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be gone for so long.”


    Alden looked puzzled, his brow deepening into furrows. “But no one in Marehelm knows Makenna. Who would kidnap her? She doesn’t have enemies here…”


    At that moment, Dominic’s voice sliced through the air like a de, spitting out a single name, “Cody.”


    Hearing this, I felt my blood turn to ice, a flood of questions cascading through my mind. I whirled toward Dominic, disbelief threading through every word. “Cody? He doesn’t even know Ailyn is Makenna. Why would he capture her? They have no grievances between them. He has no reason to do this.”


    Dominic’s expression darkened to something terrifying, shadows gathering in his eyes as his voice dropped to a menacing whisper. “The worst thing is that Makenna’s identity has been exposed. Cody is ruthless. If he knows Makenna’s true identity, he won’t miss this opportunity.”


    Before he could finish, frantic footsteps echoed from the corridor. A soldier burst through the doorway, dropping to one knee before us, his chest heaving with both exertion and fear. “Your Highnesses, it’s bad! Cody’s army has surrounded the Pierce estate, and the entire Marehelm is under their control!”


    Cody’s POV:


    My troops, with the precision of a well-oiled machine, swiftly encircled the entirety of Marehelm at mymand, sealing off the Pierce family estate with an imprable cordon.


    My forces were strategically positioned at every nook and cranny of Marehelm, allowing me to effortlessly seize control of the region with an iron grip.


    Nearby, Makenna was firmly restrained by a handful of my soldiers. Her once-pristine locks were now a tangled mess, and her formerly delicate features were streaked with grime, yet her piercing gaze remained locked on me, aze with unyielding defiance and anger.


    “Cody, how could you stoop so low? Aren’t you the least bit concerned that the king will have your head on a tter once word of this reaches him?” Makenna hissed through clenched teeth, her voice a cauldron of barely contained wrath.


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    I let out a soft, amused chuckle, my eyes dancing with mischief as they met hers. “Oh, Makenna, those three doting princes would move heaven and earth for you. As long as I hold you in my grasp, do you really think they would risk tattling to the king? They would sooner bite their tongues than see a hair on your head harmed.”


    Makenna’sposure wavered for a fleeting moment, but she quickly steeled herself, her tone icy as she shot back. “Don’t get too full of yourself. The armies of the three princes are no trifling matter. Doesn’t that give you even a flicker of pause?”


    “Ha!” I scoffed, a smirk tugging at my lips as I stepped closer, giving her cheek a condescending pat. “Makenna, with you as my trump card, I could wager those princes wouldn’t dare make a reckless move. If pushes to shove, we’ll all go down in a ze of glory.”


    “You vile wretch! You’ll meet a grim end!”


    Makenna quivered with fury, her words a torrent of venom aimed squarely at me.


    Brushing off her barbs with ease, I shifted my focus to the Pierce family estate.


    This grand estate would soon be mine for the taking.


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