Chapter 218 CHAPTER 218
Lisa had been waiting.
She stood just outside the palace corridor that led toward the private quarters, her arms folded tightly across her chest, though the stillness in her posture did little to hide the restlessness in her eyes. Every passing minute stretched longer than it should have, her thoughts circling the same questions again and again, refusing to settle.
It had not been like this before.
Now, even in the open corridors of the palace, she could feel it—the quiet, constant presence of guards positioned just out of sight, yet never far enough to be forgotten. They stood at corners, lingered near entrances, shifted subtly whenever she moved, as though her every step had become something to monitor, something to protect. It was meant to make her feel safe, but instead, it felt like the walls had drawn closer around her, like the air itself had grown heavier.
Since the attempted abduction, nothing had been normal.
She could not walk alone without someone trailing behind her. She could not step outside without permission. Even the simplest movements felt watched, measured. It was suffocating in a way she had not expected, a quiet loss of freedom that pressed against her chest more with each passing day.
And today, it felt worse.
Liam and Alpha Reed had gone out to follow a lead, to find something—anything—that could bring an end to this constant tension. Since morning, she had been waiting, holding onto the hope that when Liam returned, he would bring answers. That he would say it was over. That the person behind it all had been found.
That she could breathe again.
Her fingers tightened slightly against her arms.
She did not like this feeling—this helpless waiting, this not knowing. It made her feel trapped in a way she had never experienced before, like her life had been placed on pause while danger moved somewhere unseen.
So she waited.
Because right now, waiting was the only thing she could do.
And when Liam finally appeared, stepping into view with that quiet steadiness he always carried, something in her eased instantly.
“You’re back,” she said, her voice soft but laced with relief.
Liam’s gaze softened when it landed on her.
“I am,” he replied.
She stepped closer, searching his face. “Did you find them? The family… Miss Blackwood’s?”
Liam nodded once.
“They’re safe,” he said. “All of them. Reed found them, and we moved them somewhere secure. Miss Blackwood has been taken out of prison as well, but officially, nothing has changed.”
Lisa exhaled, her shoulders relaxing.
“That’s good,” she said quietly. “At least something is going right.”
Liam did not respond immediately.
There was a pause—small, but heavy enough for her to notice.
“What is it?” she asked.
Liam glanced away briefly, then back at her.
“We still don’t know who did it,” he said. “And that’s the problem.”
Lisa frowned slightly.
“But you have suspects, don’t you?”
“We have possibilities,” he corrected. “But nothing solid enough to act on. Whoever is behind this… they’re careful. Calculated.”
He stepped closer, his voice lowering.
“And they’re close.”
Lisa’s brows drew together.
“Close?” she repeated. “What do you mean?”
Liam held her gaze.
“I mean this is not someone watching from a distance,” he said. “This is someone who knows your movements. Your habits. Someone who can get close to you without raising suspicion. They maybe even closer than we imagine.”
The words settled slowly.
Lisa studied him, something in her expression shifting as she began to understand what he was implying.
“And what exactly are you trying to say?” she asked, her tone quieter now, but edged.
Liam shook his head slightly.
“I’m not accusing anyone,” he said. “I’m asking you to be careful. With everyone.”
He hesitated briefly before adding,
“Even with Isabel.”
The air between them changed.
Lisa’s expression hardened just enough to show the line he had crossed.
“I trust Isabel,” she said.
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t,” Liam replied quickly. “I’m saying you should be mindful of what you share with her.”
“She would never hurt me,” Lisa said firmly. “She was as shocked as we were when she learnt about her phone being used. Miss Blackwood confessed. I trust her with my life.”
“I hope you’re right,” Liam answered. “But right now, we don’t have the luxury of certainty.”
That did not sit well with her.
“You’re asking me to doubt the one person who has stood by me through everything,” she said, her voice tightening slightly.
“I’m asking you to stay safe,” Liam replied.
There was a brief silence.
Then he exhaled, his tone softening.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I know what she means to you. I know you see her as family.”
Lisa looked away for a moment, then back at him.
“I just want this to end,” she said quietly. “All of it. The suspicion. The fear. I want you to find whoever is behind this so we can stop looking at each other like strangers.”
Liam’s expression shifted, something gentler taking its place.
“I want that too,” he said.
The tension between them lingered for a moment longer…
Then slowly, it began to ease.
Liam stepped closer, closing the remaining distance between them.
“For a moment,” he said softly, “can we not think about any of this?”
Lisa looked at him, her gaze softening.
“What do you want to think about instead?” she asked.
He reached for her hand, his fingers curling around hers.
“You,” he said.
There was no hesitation in it.
“I missed you,” he added quietly. “We’ve barely had a moment since everything happened.”
Lisa’s expression softened fully now, the tension slipping away.
“I missed you too,” she admitted.
He pulled her gently into his arms, holding her close, and for a moment, the world outside that embrace seemed to fall away.
Liam rested his forehead lightly against hers, his voice quieter now, stripped of everything but truth.
“When I heard what happened…” he began, then paused, as though the memory alone was enough to unsettle him. “I have faced battles, wars, things that should have broken me. But that moment… it was different.”
Lisa’s arms tightened around him slightly.
“I didn’t know what I would do if I lost you,” he said. “If something had happened and I wasn’t there to stop it.”
She pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes soft but certain.
“It didn’t happen,” she said gently.
Then, before he could respond, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
It was brief, but full of quiet reassurance.
“I have the warden,” she added with a small smile. “I think that makes me the safest person in all the realms. I know he would spend eternity opening portals and looking for me if something bad were to happen.”
A faint smile touched Liam’s lips, though it did not fully chase away the shadows in his eyes.
“Let’s hope I never have to prove that,” he said softly.
And as he held her again, just a little tighter this time…
It was not just love that lingered between them.
It was fear.
And the quiet promise to fight it.