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156 The Night They Sold as Truth 2

Penulis: Karima Sa'ad Usman
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-27 03:25:11

Arden’s POV

Sebastien was quiet for half a beat, then said, “The President also sent the warning to Father’s office directly. Officially. Publicly. It’s a threat.”

“I read it,” I said, jaw tight.

“What do you want to do?” Sebastien asked.

The question hung.

And I hated that I didn’t have a clean answer.

Because the truth was, my options were all poison.

If I did nothing, Belmont tightened the grip and Eldenwald starved faster. Cassandra became the face of the blame. The mob grows. The palace uses her as a shield.

If I publicly reject Nala, Belmont uses it as “proof” I humiliated their daughter. They escalate. They paint me as a predator who used her and discarded her. They push the narrative harder.

If I “accept” Nala, even as a political performance, Cassandra becomes collateral again. And I become complicit in the cage they’re building around her.

I stared at the floor, feeling the familiar cold rage beneath my skin.

“I don’t know,” I said finally.

Sebastien went quiet. Then his ton
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  • Tempting the Wrong Prince   157 The Night They Sold as Truth 3

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