Chapter 89 CHAPTER 89
The drive back to the palace began in a silence so full it felt delicate, like something fragile resting between them. The engine hummed softly under their feet, the trees along the roadside moved in slow waves of green, and neither of them spoke. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, it was a stunned, thoughtful one. Every breath felt different after what had just happened.
Lisa sat with her hands folded tightly in her lap, her heart still floating somewhere in her chest, light and restless. Every few seconds she let her eyes drift toward Liam, tracing the calm line of his jaw as he focused on the road. There was a new softness to the way she looked at him now, as though reality had finally caught up with the possibilities her heart had been quietly imagining. She could still feel the memory of his lips on hers, gentle, hesitant, almost reverent, and the thought alone sent warmth blooming through her.
Inside her mind, Celia stretched lazily as though waking from a dream.
“You’re glowing, girl,” she teased. “I don’t know what’s happening but my tail won’t stop wagging.”
Lisa pressed her lips together to stifle a smile. “I’m not glowing… but it’s true, I am happy maybe this is what Celine said being in love felt like.” she whispered back in her mind, her face reflecting the smile those words brought.
“You are. I can feel it. And you should. That kiss wasn’t from confusion or mistake. That was a heart speaking. I’m also really excited that you’re this happy. What you’re feeling, I’ve never felt it in you ever since I showed up.”
Lisa turned her face toward the window, trying and failing to hide her grin. For a blissful moment, her worries about Silverpine, about Lunaris, about Sarah - all of it faded. Her chest felt warm and fluttery in a way she had never experienced before. She understood now what Celine had meant when she spoke about real affection. It wasn’t like the bond she shared with Sebastian - cold, forced, painful. This was something softer. Something chosen. Perhaps this is what Sebastian also felt with Sarah – if only she was nor bewitching him, maybe, she could understand.
While Lisa floated in quiet happiness, Liam’s thoughts were a storm of tangled emotions beneath his steady expression.
He kept his eyes on the road, but inside, he replayed the moment over and over: the way she leaned into his touch, the way her breath trembled, the way she kissed him back with that gentle certainty that made his heart ache. He hadn’t imagined it. She felt something too - something real.
But along with the happiness came a deep breath of worry.
Was he moving too fast?
Had he just complicated her life even more?
What would Ethan say when he learned his commander, his brother in all but blood, had kissed his little sister?
Kane’s voice drifted into his mind, calm and steady.
“You’re thinking too loudly.”
“I can’t help it,” Liam answered internally. “I crossed a line. I can’t take that back.”
“Do you want to take it back?” Kane asked.
Liam’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “No, of course not! I did it because I wanted to and I don’t regret anything I do with Lisa. I’m just….”
“Then stop overthinking or trying to erase something the both of you wanted,” Kane cut him off. “We have waited years for the goddess to show us our mate. She never did. And now she has placed this girl in front of us, and every part of you responds to her. Every part of me responds to the peace she brings. Maybe this is not an accident.”
“What if Ethan gets angry?”
“Then he gets angry,” Kane answered simply. “And he forgives you. And if complications come, the goddess who wrote this path will guide it. For now, enjoy the beginning before you destroy it with fear.”
Liam exhaled slowly. He knew Kane was right, but worry still pressed against his ribs. Even so, he allowed himself one more glance at Lisa.
She was already looking at him.
They both startled slightly and then shared a shy, small smile before looking away again.
The palace gates appeared sooner than either of them expected, rising tall and silver in the fading afternoon light. Liam parked the car just before the main entrance, and for several seconds neither of them moved. The silence felt full again, but this time with anticipation rather than uncertainty.
Lisa fiddled with her fingers. “Liam… I want to say something.”
He blinked and turned toward her. “I do too.”
They both let out a soft laugh at the timing, the tension slipping just a little.
“You go first,” Liam said gently.
Lisa took a breath as though preparing to step into cold water. Her voice wavered, but not with fear - with sincerity.
“I just want you to know… I’m happy.” She met his eyes, her cheeks warming but her gaze steady. “What happened wasn’t an accident for me. And it wasn’t something I want to pretend didn’t happen. After everything… after my past… I didn’t think I could feel something like this. But I do. And I’m not going to hide it.”
His chest tightened at her honesty.
She continued softly, “I’ve been thinking about you since the training ground, since that first kiss. I thought I imagined things. I thought maybe I was reading too much into nothing. But today made everything clear. I don’t regret any of it. Not a single moment.”
He swallowed, the words landing in a place he didn’t know was empty until now. She had no idea how deeply she moved him simply by speaking her truth.
“Lisa…” he began, voice low and rough with emotion, “I feel the same way. I’ve felt it for a long time. Longer than I should have. And I don’t regret today either.”
Relief fluttered across her features.
“But,” Liam continued quietly, “I am worried. Not about us - but about what comes next. I don’t want to hide anything, and I don’t want you to feel like you’re trapped between loyalties. Ethan…
I don’t know how he is going to take the news that I am dating his already bonded sister. Still, he deserves honesty. And so do you. We will tell the truth and face the consequences together. But whatever happens, I want you to know that I’m serious with my feelings for you. And nobody – not even Ethan will make me change my mind.”
Lisa nodded. “I can talk to him…”
“No, I can’t let you do that.” Liam said firmly but gently. “He should hear it from me. I’ve known him too long to let him discover something this important from someone else. If he’s going to scold anyone, let him scold me. I’ll take it. I deserve it to some extent, but nothing he will say will change my promise for you.”
Her eyes softened, pride warming her expression. “You’re brave,” she whispered.
He huffed out a quiet laugh. “I’m terrified.”
They shared another soft smile - the kind that made both of them feel seen.
A breeze brushed through the open car window, carrying the faint scent of grass and sunlight. It felt like the world was holding its breath for them.
“I should go inside,” Lisa murmured.
Liam nodded, his eyes lingering on her a little too long. “I’ll walk you to the steps.”
But before he could reach for the door handle, Lisa leaned forward. For a single moment she hesitated - a gentle, hopeful pause - and then she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, close enough to his lips that it felt like a promise.
When she pulled back, she whispered, “Goodnight, Liam.”
His voice barely worked. “Goodnight, Lisa.”
She stepped out of the car, her heart light, her cheeks warm, and her mind buzzing with the new reality of them.
Liam sat still long after she disappeared inside, touching the place where she’d kissed him, wondering how something so soft could shake him so deeply.