Chapter 71:
Makenna’s POV:
What happened to me didn’t go unnoticed. The other slaves shot me smug looks, their eyes gleaming with malicious delight as they watched the drama unfold.
“What’s going on here?” I kept my composure, turning to Hayley. “Is there another dress available?”
“I’m afraid not,” Hayley replied with an air of fake sympathy, throwing up her hands as if helpless. “These dresses were made specifically for each of you. There’s only one per person.”
Frowning, I stared at the torn dress in silence.
Everyone else’s dress was pristine, yet mine was ruined. Who was behind this?
Did someone intend to keep me from attending the banquet?
Alice stood up, her anger palpable, ready to confront Hayley. “You’re responsible for these dresses. Now that this one’s damaged, shouldn’t you be held accountable?”
Her voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I quickly motioned for her to stop, shaking my head slightly. Although confused, Alice reluctantly calmed down and stepped back.
I looked up at Hayley. “Can I not attend the banquet, then?”
I had never wanted to attend the banquet in the first place. This ruined dress seemed like the perfect excuse to avoid it.
But Hayley shut that idea down without a second thought.
“Absolutely not! The king himself issued the order. All sex slaves are required to attend.”
My annoyance was barely contained, and I caught a brief flash of malice in Hayley’s eyes.
It became clear that this wasn’t just an accident. Hayley was involved, and she was setting me up for humiliation at the banquet.
As I studied her more closely, I doubted she was the mastermind. As our inspector, she had no reason to stir up trouble for me at such a high-profile event. If things went awry, it could spell trouble for her too—unless, of course, someone higher up had instructed her.
ᗰ𝕠尺乇 ひ卩ᗪ卂ㄒ乇丂 丨几 galη𝖔veƖs. ¢σм
Kristina’s face flashed through my mind.
Could she be the one pulling the strings?
There was also something unsettling about Hayley’s resemblance to one of Kristina’s followers. Were they connected somehow?
But without concrete evidence, speculating wouldn’t do me any good. I needed to focus on the issue at hand.
Realizing I had no choice but to attend the banquet, I picked up the ruined dress and said, “I understand.” Then I turned and left the training room.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Hayley called after me, barely concealing the satisfaction in her voice. “Makenna, just a friendly reminder: You’d better attend the banquet. You wouldn’t want to face the king’s wrath.”
I shot her a cold glance before walking away.
“Makenna!”
As I left the room, someone hurried to catch up with me, draping an arm over my shoulder. I turned to find Alice, her eyes filled with worry.
“What are you going to do now?” she asked, her concern evident. “Maybe I could… lend you my dress?”
I stopped in my tracks, staring at her in disbelief. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose your chance to win the king’s favor?”
For many of the sex slaves, this was a golden opportunity. Was Alice really willing to give it up?
A flicker of fear crossed Alice’s face, and she muttered, “Well, the key to winning their favor is surviving the encounter. I’m not sure I’m lucky enough to pull that off.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed Alice had been thoroughly intimidated by Bryan.
“And what happens when the king notices you aren’t wearing a dress?” I teased.
Alice froze, scratching her head as she considered the dilemma.
Amused, I could see she hadn’t thought this through.
“Don’t worry about me,” I assured her, patting her shoulder. “I have a plan.”
Alice’s curiosity piqued. “What are you going to do?”
I gave her a sly wink, leaving the question unanswered. “But I do need a favor from you,” I added.
I leaned in, whispering my plan in her ear. Alice looked at me doubtfully.
“Will that really work?”
I nodded with confidence. She hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing.
“All right.”
