Chapter 165: 165 - call me
165
~Damon’s POV
The guard began reading. One by one, the names filled the room. Cooks, cleaners, guards, stable boys, attendants. My eyes flicked with each one, my chest tightening.
When the last name was called, I slammed my hand against the table so hard that the wood cracked. The guard jumped back, his voice catching in his throat.
"Check again!" I roared. "You missed someone. You must have missed someone!"
Another servant hurried forward, flipping through the pages with shaking fingers. "My Lord, please, look, we have not missed anyone. Every name, every duty, it’s all here. There is... There is no Luca."
"No, Luca?" I repeated, my voice low, dangerous. I stepped closer, and they all shrank back. "She doesn’t lie. Do you hear me? She never lies. If she said his name was Luca, then there is a Luca. Somewhere. Hidden. Pretending."
The servants exchanged frightened glances. One dared to whisper, "Perhaps he was not... truly of the palace, my Lord."
I rounded on him so fast he dropped to his knees. "And how, then, did he enter? Who opened the gates? Who let him touch her?"
No one answered. The silence mocked me, fueled the fire in my chest.
"Listen to me!" I bellowed, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "From this moment, every guard doubles his watch. No one enters, no one leaves without my permission. Search every corner, attic, cellar, and hidden passage. Tear the walls apart if you must. I want every shadow checked. If a man breathes within these walls and hides his name, I will find him. And when I do..." I let my words trail off, but the promise of death hung thick in the air.
I slipped back into Lisa’s room. She was still asleep, curled under the blanket, her hair messy against the pillow. For a moment, I just stood there, watching her chest rise and fall. Then I lay beside her, the bed sinking under my weight. Sleep pulled me in before I could think anymore.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight had already crept through the curtains, spilling gold across the room. For a moment, I just lay there, listening to the quiet. The palace was never truly silent, but in that moment, it felt like it was. I rubbed my face with my hand, trying to shake off the heaviness of the night. My head still carried the weight of everything that happened, searching, questioning, and finding nothing.
Beside me, Lisa stirred. Her body shifted against the sheets, and her lashes fluttered like small wings before her eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and then her gaze fell on me.
Her voice came out soft, still thick with sleep, but the urgency in her tone was clear.
"Did you catch him? Did you find Luca?"
The name hit me again like a stone. Luca. Always Luca.
I let out a slow breath, one that felt heavy in my chest. My eyes dropped for a second before I looked back at her.
"No. There’s no one here with that name."
Her brows knitted together immediately, a deep crease forming between them. I could see disbelief, confusion, maybe even fear in her face.
"But... I heard it clearly," she said, her voice a little stronger now. "Luca. I’m sure that’s his name."
Her certainty pressed against me. She wasn’t guessing. She wasn’t doubting. She was sure. And yet everything in the palace records, every servant questioned, every list I checked... nothing. No Luca.
I shifted closer to her, propping my elbow on the mattress so I could face her properly. Her hair was still messy from sleep, her eyes a little puffy, but she looked so serious it made my chest ache.
"Lisa," I said quietly, careful with my words, "are you sure?"
Her eyes locked on mine, steady and unwavering, and she nodded without hesitation.
"Yes," she whispered. Then louder, firmer, "Yes. I wouldn’t forget it. I know what I heard."
I studied her face, searching for any crack, any sign that she might be confused or mistaken. But there was nothing. Only certainty.
"Then listen to me... even if I didn’t find him, I’ll protect you. You don’t need to be afraid."
Her lips parted like she was ready to argue, but I cut in, my voice low and firm, not giving her the chance.
"From today, I’ll assign two guards to stay with you. They’ll watch you. No one will come close."
Her reaction was instant, her eyes widened, and she shook her head quickly, almost desperately.
"No, Damon," she said sharply. "I don’t want that. I don’t want more people whispering about me. I don’t want more talks about me at all."
I frowned.
"Lisa, it’s not about talks. It’s about your safety."
She pushed herself up halfway, clutching the blanket tight to her chest as though it was her armor. Her tone was sharper now, cutting through the air.
"I said no. I’ll be fine."
I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt, a deep wave of frustration rolling inside me. I wanted to snap, to tell her she didn’t understand the danger, but I forced myself to swallow it back. My voice came out lower, rougher.
"Lisa, don’t be stubborn about this. Please. Let me protect you."
Her eyes locked on mine, steady, unyielding, holding me in place like chains.
"I don’t want guards following me around. If you really care, then trust me when I say I’ll be fine."
Her words cut deeper than she knew. Trust her. She was asking me for something that went against everything in me. My instincts screamed at me to argue, to fight her on this, to do what I thought was best. Every muscle in my body was tense, ready to push back.
But then I saw it, the fire in her eyes. And in that moment, I knew that forcing her would break something between us.
I stared at her for a long time, my chest rising and falling with the weight of the battle inside me. And slowly, painfully, I let go of the fight, because the truth was... I couldn’t crush that fire.
Finally, I sighed.
"Fine. No guards. But promise me this, if you see anything, if you feel anything strange... if you notice any stranger in this palace, you’ll call me immediately. Do you understand?"
Her lips softened into the faintest smile, and she nodded.
"I promise."
Something in me eased at that. Slowly, I reached out and touched her forehead with my lips, lingering there longer than I should have.
"Good. Now... It’s time I attend the meeting with my brothers."
Her eyes followed me as I stood and adjusted my clothes.
As I reached the door, I looked back one last time.
"Remember what I said, Lisa. Call me. Always."
Her quiet "I will" followed me out of the room.