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Chapter 28
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2024-11-16 20:04:02Chapter 28: Fractured Trust
The castle was abuzz with whispers, rumors weaving through the stone halls like fire in dry grass. Karina had never felt more exposed. The news of her pregnancy had spread quickly, carried by the same mouths that had once praised her and Caden as a united force, an unshakable pair. Now, those same tongues gossiped in the shadows, speaking of her and the child she carried.
But the most damaging rumor came from Lena.
Karina didn’t know how it had started—whether Lena had told Caden outright or simply let the seeds of doubt take root in his mind. But it didn’t matter. What mattered now was that Caden believed what Lena had told him: that the child Karina carried wasn’t his. That it was Andrew’s.
The news hit Karina like a blow to the chest. It was impossible, ludicrous even. There was no truth to it—*none*. But Caden... Caden believed it. Or at least, he had allowed himself to. His trust i
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