Chapter 143:
Clayton’s POV:
I narrowed my eyes, suspicion curling through my veins. “Who are you? Where’s Makenna?”
The woman in front of me froze, her eyes wide with surprise. “Who are you?” She didn’t recognize me?
That only deepened the pit of unease in my stomach. Someone in this palace who didn’t know me?
My patience, already thin, snapped. My voice turned cold, sharp as a blade. “I’m Prince Clayton. Where is Makenna? Where has she gone?”
At the mention of my name, the woman’s demeanor shifted, respect tinged with a hint of nervousness. She quickly bowed, her tone syrupy sweet and flattering. “My name is Lily Castro, a maid to Miss Dunn. She hasn’t returned in two days.”
A frown etched itself onto my face. “She didn’t come back? That’s impossible! Is something wrong with her?”
“Miss Dunn has gone to recuperate,” Lily explained, her words measured. “I went to her bedroom early the day before yesterday, but she was already gone. Shortly after, a servant informed me that she was injured at the wedding and was taken away for treatment. I don’t know when she’ll be back.”
An unsettling feeling gnawed at me. Someone specifically arranging treatment for her? It couldn’t have been my father—he didn’t even reprimand the Harrison family, let alone show concern for a mere slave.
A chill crept up my spine as the thought hit me. I fixed Lily with a serious gaze. “Do you remember what this servant looked like?”
She hesitated, and then slowly nodded. “He was very tall, with red hair and a scar on his face.”
Recognition flickered in my mind, like a shadow slipping through the cracks. I knew a servant with those features. And then it clicked—he was one of Bryan’s men!
With this new piece of the puzzle, I had no reason to linger. I turned on my heel, ready to leave.
𝘽𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝖌ⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀．𝖼𝗈𝗺
But before I could take a step, Lily called out, “Your Highness!”
I spun back, irritation prickling under my skin. “What?”
She bit her lip, clearly grappling with something. “If Miss Dunn returns, should I inform you?”
The thought of Makenna returning on her own seemed unlikely, but I nodded. “Yes, let me know if she comes back.”
Her face lit up with a glimmer of hope, as if she wanted to say more. But I had no time for her hesitations. I left, heading straight for Bryan’s residence.
As I approached, a strange feeling washed over me—the place seemed more heavily guarded than usual.
I made my way to the villa’s gate, where the guards stood at attention, greeting me with their usual, “Your Highness.”
I barely acknowledged them with a nod. “I’m here to see Bryan.”
But they didn’t budge. With unwavering respect, one of them spoke up. “Prince Bryan isn’t here today, Your Highness. Please come another time.”
Their refusal sent a chill through me, solidifying the knot in my stomach. With the increased guards, my instincts screamed that Makenna was here.
And not as a patient, but as a prisoner.
I didn’t let my thoughts show on my face. Instead, I glanced at Bryan’s house and then forced a calm smile at the guards. “Very well, I’ll return another time.”
