Chapter 146

Laila’s POV

I stood frozen in the doorway, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure Nolan could hear it. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, but I wasn’t sure if I could process what had just happened. For weeks, I had been caught in a web of deceit, one where my identity was being stolen, my name sullied, and my future threatened. But in this moment, I was more confused than ever.

Mara stood before me, her real face exposed, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of disbelief. How had I missed it? Was I so blinded by everything else that I hadn’t seen the truth? The woman I had thought was my enemy, the one who had been plotting against me with Hamilton, wasn’t the person I had imagined her to be. The person in front of me wasn’t her. But then who was it? Was the woman I had seen with Hamilton a mere puppet, a hired actor? The possibility gnawed at me, making my stomach churn with dread. They were playing a deeper game than I could have ever anticipa