Chapter 144

Kiara's POV

The drive back to the palace felt like a blur. My mind was racing, spinning with too many emotions for me to make sense of anything. Eric had passed away just minutes after our conversation, right there in my arms. 

His body, so weak and frail, had faded away like a flame snuffed out by the wind. He had asked for my forgiveness, and though I had given it, the weight of everything he'd confessed still sat heavy on my chest.

How could he have carried that secret for so long? How could he have set me up to get pregnant like that? The betrayal I’d felt before was nothing compared to the confusion and hurt I felt now. I had held him as he slipped away, but I wasn't sure if I truly forgave him. 

The moment I stepped through the palace doors, a wave of dread washed over me. The halls were dimly lit, the silence unnerving. As I made my way upstairs, my heart sank even further. 

I needed to talk to Wilson, to clear my