Chapter 116 Chapter 116
Damien’s POV
I could see the discomfort on Hailey’s face, the suspicion in Kai’s eyes, the general unease that came with bringing a relative stranger into our sanctuary.
But I didn’t have a choice.
“Hailey, Benita,” I said, catching their eye. “Can you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with Kai and Lorenzo privately.”
I saw the hurt flash across her face being dismissed again, kept in the dark about what was really happening. But she nodded and stood.
“Of course,” Hailey said, her voice carefully neutral.
They left the room, and I heard her footsteps fade down the hallway.
Nina appeared in the doorway then. “I’ll show Vincent to his room,” she offered.
“Thank you,” Vincent said, following her out.
The moment they were gone and it was just Kai, Lorenzo, and me, I turned to Kai.
“How did it go?” I asked. “After you split off as the decoy. Did you lose them?”
Kai leaned against the wall, his expression troubled. “That’s the weird part, boss. We led them on a chase for about thirty minutes, took them through some complicated routes, made it clear we knew they were following us.”
“And?” I pressed.
“And then they just… stopped,” Kai said, frowning. “We were expecting more vehicles to show up, more stalkers to close in. We were prepared for a confrontation. But after that initial pursuit, nothing. It was like they just pulled away.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” I said, my mind racing through possibilities. “They were so aggressive before, Why suddenly back off?”
“That’s what’s bothering me,” Kai said, his voice low. “It feels wrong. Like they got what they wanted and didn’t need to push anymore.”
“What could they have wanted?” Lorenzo asked. “We didn’t lead them to the safehouse. We took every precaution.”
“I don’t know,” Kai admitted. “But I feel something ominous is coming. Something bigger than what we’ve faced so far. And I don’t even know if we’re ready to face it.”
Kai wasn’t one to express doubt or fear. If he felt something was wrong, something probably was.
“Marco’s note,” I said quietly. “The red dot. The warning about a traitor in our inner circle. That’s all I need to know that someone is working for the Morellis from the inside.”
“The question is who,” Lorenzo said.
“And the only person who can tell us is lying in a hospital bed unable to speak,” I finished, frustration evident in my voice. “It’s only until Marco recovers his voice that we can find out who the mole is.”
“How long until that happens?” Kai asked.
“The doctors say weeks at minimum,” I said. “Maybe months. His voice box was severely damaged. They’re not even sure he’ll fully recover the ability to speak.”
“So we’re blind,” Kai said flatly. “Fighting an enemy we can’t see, with a traitor we can’t identify, and no way to get answers.”
Before I could respond, the door burst open without so much as a knock.
Sophia stormed in, her face set in determined lines, clearly not caring that she was interrupting a private conversation.
“We need to talk,” she announced.
“Sophia, we’re in the middle of something,” I said, irritation flaring. “This isn’t a good time.”
“I don’t care,” she said, crossing her arms. “This is important. We need to change Louis as the head guard of this house.”
“Excuse me?” I said, taken aback by the demand.
“You heard me,” Sophia said. “Louis needs to be replaced. He’s not doing his job properly. I don’t feel safe with him in charge.”
“Miss Sophia, we can’t just change Luis, he’s been the head guard for forever, changing him at the middle of everything that’s happening right now isn’t the best option.” Kai explain .
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Sophia interrupted sharply, her eyes never leaving my face. “I’m talking to my father. Louis needs to go.”
“You were not talking to me but apparently I happen to hear and your father didn’t have any problem with Louis being the head guard, so yeah.”
“Kai, I wasn’t talking to you. This is between me and my father.” Sophia fired back and turned to me. “Dad, Louis needs to be change.”
“Why?” I demanded. “What has Louis done that makes you think he’s not qualified?”
Sophia’s face flushed. “He’s… he’s not attentive enough.….”
“We can’t change Louis,” I said firmly. “And we won’t.”
“Why not?” Sophia demanded, her voice rising. “He’s just a guard! You have dozens of guards! Pick someone else!”
“Louis is not just a guard,” I said, my voice hardening. “He’s the best fit for this position. He’s been trained specifically for this role. And more importantly, he’s lived in this safehouse for almost his whole life, thanks to Kai’s insistence on keeping him here and safe.”
I looked at Kai, who nodded in confirmation.
“Louis knows every inch of this house,” I continued. “Every security system, every weak point, every escape route. He’s been preparing for this role for years. No one else has that level of familiarity with this location.”
“But…” Sophia started.
“The answer is no,” I said, my tone making it clear the discussion was over. “Louis stays. And you need to accept that.”
Sophia’s face crumpled, tears springing to her eyes. “You always take everyone else’s side over mine.”
“This isn’t about taking sides,” I said, softening my voice slightly. “This is about security. About keeping everyone in this house safe. Louis is the best person for that job.”