Chapter 18- Sick

Chapter 18: 18- Sick 18 ~Lisa’s POV When I got to the door, I paused. I could hear laughter inside. Belinda’s voice was the loudest. I knocked gently, then pushed the door open. They were all still there. Kael leaned back on a velvet chair, arms folded. Damon stood near the window, gaze blank. Rowan was seated beside Belinda, who smiled as if she ruled the world. I stepped in, bowed my head, and moved toward them, hoping this would be over soon. As I reached for the cup to pour the wine, my hands steady despite the pressure crawling up my spine, Belinda raised her hand suddenly. "Wait," she said, her voice sharp, slicing through the air like glass. "Let’s make this fun." I froze mid-motion, my fingers inches from the bottle. Her lips curled into a cruel smile, the kind that meant nothing good. I hesitated, but not for long, because hesitation, in this palace, was dangerous. Her eyes sparkled with something wicked as she leaned forward. And then, just as I began to move again, she "accidentally" bumped the tray with the edge of her palm. It happened fast, but it felt slow. The cup tipped. The bottle wobbled. The red wine spilled, dark and rich, slashing across the marble like blood across snow. It dripped onto the edge of her dress and splattered near her feet. My heart dropped straight to my stomach. I fell to my knees instantly. "I...I’m sorry," I stammered, panic rising in my throat as I tried to reach for the cup. "I didn’t mean to...I swear, it was an accident..." A sharp, ringing slap struck my cheek. The sting was instant, hot and humiliating. My head jerked to the side, hair falling over my face as I gasped softly. I didn’t dare cry out. Not here. Not in front of them. "She did it on purpose!" Belinda shouted, spinning dramatically toward the triplets like a stage actress begging for applause. "She’s trying to humiliate me in front of you!" My lips parted to protest, to say something, anything, but the words died in my throat. I was still kneeling, my heart pounding, and I could already feel the red swelling across my skin. My chest tightened. Kael’s jaw tensed, his dark eyes locked on mine like I was something disgusting he didn’t want to touch. Rowan rolled his eyes, clearly tired of the entire scene. "This is exhausting," he muttered. Damon stepped forward, his arms crossed and expression unreadable. "She’s not worth the trouble." Then Kael spoke, voice like ice. "You’ll work. Without pay. Until you pay off that wine." My head snapped up. "What?" I blinked at him, stunned, unsure I’d heard correctly. "Please..." My voice cracked. "Please, I have a sick father. I need to send him medicine. Just a little..." "Silence," Rowan snapped, cutting me off so sharply I flinched. There wasn’t even a hint of compassion in his voice. No hesitation. Just cold command. Like I was nothing but noise to be shut down. He turned his head slightly, nodding at the guard near the door. "Take her out." My stomach dropped. My eyes lifted, hoping to see a stranger. But it wasn’t. It was Milo. His face was still, but when our eyes met, I saw it, just for a split second. That sign of pity. That pain he couldn’t hide, like watching a wounded animal bleed. He stepped forward without saying a word, but I noticed the way his jaw clenched. How his hand curled just slightly at his side. He didn’t want to do this. I knew it. And yet, he had no choice. No one ever had a choice here, except the triplets. I tried to stand on my own, but my legs shook. Milo caught me, his hand gentle on my elbow. He didn’t meet my eyes again, but his touch told me enough. He was angry. Maybe not just for me, but for how cruel this place had become. The room spun slightly as we turned to leave. Behind me, I heard Belinda’s victorious sniff and the scrape of a wine bottle being moved on the table. As Milo led me out, I stared ahead, blinking away the burn in my eyes. Because crying wouldn’t help. Milo didn’t take me straight to the servant quarters like I expected. Instead, he led me quietly down a narrow hallway, past tall windows where sunlight streamed through and painted the floor in long golden lines. At the far end, behind a wooden door most people didn’t even notice, was a small storage room, empty, quiet, safe. He shut the door gently behind us and turned to me, his eyes soft with concern. "Sit," he said quietly, motioning to an old bench by the wall. I sat down slowly, my hands trembling in my lap. I didn’t realize how hard I’d been holding myself together until the silence wrapped around us like a blanket. For a moment, I let my head fall forward, hiding behind my hair. Milo crouched in front of me, his voice low. "I’m sorry, Lisa." I shook my head. "It’s not your fault." He sighed. "Still. It’s not fair." I gave a weak smile. "Fair doesn’t exist here." We were quiet for a moment. Then I looked up at him. "Milo... do you know if they’ll really make me work without pay?"\(n)ovel(.)co(m) He nodded slowly. "If they say it, they mean it." My chest tightened. I thought about my father, lying in bed, weak, waiting for the money I’d promised to bring back. Waiting for the medicine. He must have been so worried about me. "I was going to send some of my salary to my father," I whispered. "He’s sick. I don’t know what to do." Milo’s eyes softened even more, and without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small envelope. He pressed it gently into my hands. "What’s this?" I asked. "Half of my pay," he said. My eyes widened. "What? No...Milo, I can’t accept this. You worked for it. Don’t you have people to take care of?" He shook his head. "I’m an orphan. I’ve been on my own since I was twelve. I don’t have anyone. And I don’t have a mate yet either." His words made my throat tighten. "Still, I can’t..." "You can," he said, firm but kind. "And you will. Your father needs it more than I do right now. Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage." I looked down at the envelope, my fingers curling tightly around it. My heart ached with gratitude and guilt. "Thank you," I said quietly, my voice cracking. He gave a small smile. "We help each other. That’s what people like us do."