?Chapter 1137:


    The two women slumped on the floor, disheveled and filthy. They looked like beggars who’d just crawled from gutters thick with mud. Their heads bowed low, and tangled hair veiled their faces. I couldn’t make out their features, but I caught the faint tremor that rippled through their bodies.


    I frowned, doubt creeping into my thoughts. I turned to Antoni, my voice low and edged with steel. “These two? You’re telling me they can help me capture Makenna? Are you joking?”


    Antoni remained silent, offering only a slight wave of his hand. His attendants surged forward, seizing fistfuls of matted hair and wrenching the women’s heads back.


    Two grime-streaked faces emerged into the harsh light. Eyes narrowing, I studied them closely. Something familiar lingered in their features, yet I couldn’t ce where I’d seen them before.


    Suspicion darkened my mood. My gaze turned icy as I confronted Antoni. “Are you ying games with me?”


    A derisive chuckle escaped him. He approached the younger woman, patting her cheek with mocking tenderness. “Your Majesty, you truly have a terrible memory. This one here used to be Makenna’s maid, Evie. And the crone beside her is Evie’s grandmother, Rosaline, who served as one of the pce’s maids.”


    His hand recoiled as if burned, disgust twisting his features as he wiped his fingers clean. The smirk returned. “Once Makenna’s true background surfaced, these two fled the pce and vanished. It wasn’t easy hunting them down, but I finally managed to drag them from their holes.”


    My frown deepened at his words.


    Evie?


    The name sparked faint recognition, hovering just beyond reach. Even so, I couldn’t fathom how these wretched maids could possibly aid me in capturing Makenna.


    “They’re just maids,” I said coldly, casting a disdainful nce at the two women. “What use could they possibly have? Do you think Makenna would surrender herself for their sake?”


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    Antoni’s smirk stretched wider, confidence zing in his eyes. “Your Majesty, Makenna differs from us entirely. These aren’t mere maids to her. She regards them as friends, even family.”


    I sneered, doubt clinging to my words, each syble steeped in contempt. “Who in their right mind would consider maids as friends?”


    Unperturbed, Antoni’s self-assurance burned brighter. That knowing smile twisted across his face. “Your Majesty, why not put it to the test? Once whispers spread that we’ve captured Evie and her grandmother, Makenna will surely reveal herself. When she does, her weakness willy bare before your eyes.”


    Lightning-quick, a memory sparked.


    Makenna did possess one close confidante—another former sex ve by the name of Alice…


    My brow creased as I fixed Antoni with a prating stare. “Antoni, are you familiar with a woman called Alice? She appeared to share an intimate bond with Makenna. Have you tracked her whereabouts?”


    At the mention of “Alice,” anger shed through Antoni’s eyes, his expression darkening instantly. “Your Majesty, that woman is nothing but trouble. Evie and Rosaline were covering for Alice, enabling her escape with Makenna’s son. That’s precisely why I caught them!”


    “What?” I surged to my feet, the revtion striking like thunder, momentarily stealing my ability to think.


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