Chapter 141 THE LIE I CANT IGNORE
Chapter 141 THE LIE I CANT IGNORE
LUCA’S POV
The penthouse was too quiet. I sat on the edge of the couch with my phone in my hand, staring at the last message from Maya.
Maya: Goodnight. Love you.
It was simple and soft. But it felt incomplete. Something in the way she had answered earlier still sat wrong in my chest. I had texted her goodnight the way I always did, hoping the easy affection would settle the tension from the resort. Her reply came quickly, but it did not erase the look on her face when I asked the question.
Who is Damon?
I leaned back and closed my eyes. The weekend had been perfect until that moment. The ocean, the villa, the way she had looked at me while we made love, all of it had felt real. Then one message popped up on her phone and everything shifted. She had run to the bathroom like the floor was on fire. When she came out, her answers were careful. Too careful. The kind of careful that comes from someone who is protecting a secret.
I was clocking the bullshit. I knew something was wrong. Maya was not telling me the truth. The woman I loved, the woman who had rebuilt my company’s strategy and challenged me at every turn was holding something back. And it had started the second I asked about Damon.
My gut twisted. I had spent months fighting for her trust. I had ended my engagement. I had stood in front of the board for her. I had planned that entire weekend just to show her she was safe with me. And still, there was a wall.
I stood up and walked to the large windows. The city lights blurred below. I told myself I should wait. That she would tell me when she was ready. That snooping was the opposite of the trust I claimed to want. But the need for peace of mind was stronger.
I picked up the phone and called Claire.
She answered on the second ring, professional even at this hour. “Mr. Hale?”
“Claire. I need your help with something.”
There was a short pause. “Of course. What is it?”
I hesitated for a second, the words feeling heavier than they should. “I need you to look into something for me. Discreetly. Find anything you can on a Damon related to Maya Lawson. Any records, any connections, any information that makes sense of the name.”
Silence stretched on the other end of the line. I could almost hear Claire thinking, weighing the request against the loyalty she had always shown me.
“Okay, sir,” she said finally. Her voice was careful. “I’ll start looking first thing tomorrow. Quietly.”
“Thank you.”
I ended the call and stared at the phone. Guilt settled in my stomach. I knew I should not be doing this. I should wait for Maya to open up on her own. But the alternative was sitting in the dark with half-answers. That was worse. I needed to know. For my own peace of mind. For the future I was trying to build with her.
I poured a glass of water and forced myself to sit down again. Memories of the last few months played through my head.
My phone rang again. This time it was my grandfather.
I answered with a small smile.
“Luca,” his voice came through, strong despite his age. “It’s good to hear from you.”
“Grandfather. How are you?”
“I’m well. Better now that I’m talking to my grandson. Listen, my birthday is next week. I’m hosting a dinner at the estate. I want you there. And I want you to bring your girlfriend.”
Heat rose in my face. I actually blushed a little, something I had not done in years. “You heard about that.”
He chuckled. “Claire may have mentioned it in passing. Bring her. I want to meet the woman who has finally made you look happy again.”
“I will,” I said, the smile still on my face. “We’ll be there.”
“Good. Don’t be late.”
We talked for a few more minutes about the company and the family. When the call ended, the smile lingered. The idea of introducing Maya to my grandfather felt right. It felt like the next step.
But the warmth faded as soon as the thought of Damon returned. Maya’s recent behavior tugged at the back of my mind like a loose thread I could not stop pulling. The way she had avoided my eyes. The half-answer. The way she had clung to me later as if she was afraid I would disappear.
I walked to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. The city continued its quiet glow outside. I wanted to believe the best. I wanted to trust that whatever this was, it would not destroy what we had built. But the need to know was louder now.
Claire would look into it. Quietly. Discreetly. And once I had the information, I would decide how to handle it.
I picked up the phone one last time and typed a message to Maya.
Luca: goodnight, my love.
I sent it and set the phone down. Then I lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling.
Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones. And for the first time since Maya walked into my life, I was not sure I would like the answer when it finally came.