Chapter 105:
Makenna’s POV:
I glanced at Lily, her cheeks round and rosy, making her look like a ripe apple just waiting to be picked.
I hesitated for what felt like an eternity, my heart heavy with the thought of sending her away. In the end, I just couldn’t do it.
With a sigh, I finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”
Lily’s face lit up with pure joy. She wrapped her arms around me, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Thank you so much, Miss Dunn! You are so kind!”
“Please, stop calling me Miss Dunn. Just call me Makenna,” I said, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “But I can’t promise it’ll work out.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Lily replied with a grateful smile, her eyes shining with hope. “I’m just so thankful you are willing to help.”
Alice watched the exchange between us, her gaze flicking back and forth. Once Lily excused herself to use the bathroom, Alice stepped closer.
“I’m really sorry, Makenna,” Alice said, her expression full of guilt. “I didn’t mean to put you in such a tough spot. Lily was just so desperate, begging me to bring her here. I couldn’t leave her alone.”
I squeezed her arm reassuringly. “It’s alright. She’s so young. Who could just stand by and let her fall into that life without trying to help? Now that I’ve agreed, I’ll do my best. But if it doesn’t work, there’s not much else I can do.”
Alice was always wild and righteous, so I didn’t hold it against her. And Lily was just too pitiful. Alice had naturally felt sorry for her.
Alice sighed, clearly relieved. “Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay? If it doesn’t work out, it’s not your fault.” I gave her shoulder a comforting pat.
When Lily returned from the bathroom, she asked, almost in a whisper, where she should stay. After thinking for a moment, I said, “You can stay here with me for now.”
Living alone, with few visitors, it seemed like the best solution for both of us.
Lᴀτєѕτ cнαρτєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovєl𝑠.𝒸oм
With that settled, Alice headed back to her dormitory. Lily, quiet and obedient, followed me as I showed her to a spare room. She slipped inside without a word, and soon, I found myself back in my own bedroom, sinking into the soft bed.
The day’s events had drained me completely. I let out a long breath and was quickly lost to sleep.
That night, I slept deeply, only waking when the sunlight streamed in through the window. Thanks to my training, I was up early. As I descended the stairs, I was surprised to find Lily already awake, with a simple breakfast laid out on the table.
“Did you make this?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise.
Lily nodded, her cheeks pink with shyness. “Yes, I did. I wasn’t sure what you like, but I can make something else if you prefer.”
“Thank you, Lily. It looks wonderful,” I added gently. “But you don’t have to do this.”
Lily shook her head, still shy. “I want to. If Alice and you hadn’t helped me, I don’t know where I would be right now.”
Sensing the fear still lingering in her, I spoke softly. “It’s okay, Lily. You’re safe here, at least for now. I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way.”
Lily looked at me with deep gratitude. “Thank you. You really are so kind.”
We didn’t say much more. After breakfast, I headed off to the training room.
The moment I walked in, I could feel the tension hanging in the air. The way the women were looking at me was different—more jealousy, more resentment than I’d ever seen before.
Something was wrong. But what?
