CHAPTER 139: 139 - A LITTLE

139

~Lisa’s POV

Kael scoffed loudly, the sound sharp and mocking, making my chest tighten. He started walking closer, his boots echoing against the floor like they carried all the authority in the world. My breath caught, and my fingers dug deeper into Damon’s sheets.

"Get up!" Kael’s voice thundered again, so sharp that it stabbed right through my chest.

I jumped, my breath catching, my heart thudding painfully fast. For a moment, I thought I might actually collapse right there on the spot. My whole body felt so heavy, like I was tied down with stones. My head spun faintly, and the weakness in my bones made it impossible to even think about standing.

"I..." My voice cracked, barely louder than a whisper. "I can’t. I’m a bit weak. My body... it hurts. I can’t stand right now."

Kael’s eyes narrowed at me as though I had just told the biggest lie in the world. His gaze burned into me, sharp, judgmental, and unkind. He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into something cruel, almost mocking.

"Weak?" he repeated, his tone dripping with scorn. "Don’t play games with me, Lisa. You don’t belong here. You’re just a maid. A kitchen girl. Damon’s bed is not where you rest."

The words cut through me like a knife. My chest tightened, my stomach twisting as though his voice itself had struck me. I wanted to disappear into the sheets, to sink into the mattress and vanish from sight. I wanted him to stop looking at me like that, like I was some dirt that needed to be scrubbed away.

My throat went dry, and shame pressed down on me heavier than my own weakness. He was right, wasn’t he? I didn’t belong here. This wasn’t my place. And yet... here I was.

Before I could even think of something to say, before I could explain myself or beg him to stop, the sound of the door opening broke through the tension.

"Enough."

The voice that came was steady, deep, and so sharp it sliced right through Kael’s words. My heart stopped for a second, then leapt with a strange mix of relief and fear.

I turned my head toward the doorway.

Damon.

He stood there, his tall frame filling the space as though the room itself bent to his presence. His eyes weren’t on me; they were locked on Kael, calm yet piercing, carrying a warning that didn’t need further explanation. His expression didn’t change much.

I let out a shaky breath I didn’t realize I was holding, the weight pressing against my chest loosening just a little. Relief washed over me like cool water, but at the same time, fear clung to me, fear of what would happen next, fear of what Kael might still do, fear of what Damon himself might say.

"Leave her alone, Kael," Damon said, his tone firm.

Kael straightened, his body tense. "Leave her alone?" He let out another scoff, shaking his head. "You’re really getting soft, Damon. I hate this new you,"

Damon moved forward, closing the distance between them. His voice was lower this time, but the authority in it was clear. "This is my room, not yours. I decide who stays here. If she’s on my bed, it’s because I allowed it. Not you."

Kael’s jaw tightened. He looked from Damon to me, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Then he laughed bitterly under his breath and stepped back. "Fine. Protect her all you want. But don’t forget reality. Belinda will soon be our Luna. So play with this one while you can, Damon. Soon enough, you’ll have no choice but to face the truth."

His words stung, and I felt my stomach twist. I looked down quickly, not wanting Kael to see the flicker of pain on my face.

Damon’s expression didn’t change much, but I saw his hand clench slightly by his side. Kael gave one last mocking look, then turned sharply and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The silence that followed was heavy, pressing against my chest. I could still feel the echo of Kael’s words in the air.

Damon let out a slow sigh, running a hand through his hair. His eyes shifted to me, softer now. "Are you alright?"

I swallowed and nodded weakly. "Yes... I’m fine."

He stepped closer, kneeling a little by the bed so he could look into my eyes. "You don’t need to be scared of him. I told you before, this is my room. No one decides what happens here except me."

I swallowed hard and looked up at Damon. "Is... is what Kael said true?" My voice shook, but I forced the words out. "That I’m just a thing to you? That you’re only... playing with me?"

Damon stopped walking and turned to face me. His eyes softened, and that alone made my chest tighten. He slowly came over and sat beside me on the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and I could feel the warmth of his presence so close.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Lisa... no. You’re not just a thing to me."

Damon leaned closer, his voice low but steady. "Kael doesn’t know everything. He only says what he sees from the outside. But I’ve been honest with you."

"Honest?" I whispered, shaking my head slightly. "I don’t even know what you want from me, Damon. Sometimes you protect me, sometimes you’re cold. I don’t understand."

He reached out and gently touched my hand. His palm was warm, and it sent a rush through me, but I didn’t pull away.

"I’m telling you the truth now," he said firmly. "I want to know you. Not as a maid. Not as someone beneath me. I want to know you, Lisa. The real you."

His jaw tightened, and his eyes held mine without wavering. "Because when I look at you, I don’t see what everyone else sees. I see something different. Something that feels... real. And I can’t explain it away."

I covered my face with my hands, trying to hide the tears. "But Damon... I’m scared. I don’t want to be used and thrown away. I don’t think I can survive that again."

He gently pulled my hands away from my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were serious, almost burning. "I’m not going to use you, Lisa. I won’t lie to you. I want to know you. Slowly, honestly. But I need you to trust me, even a little."

I bit my lip, trembling, my heart racing too fast. "I don’t know if I can..."

"Then let me prove it to you," he said quietly, his voice softer now. "Let me show you I mean what I say."