Chapter 32 - hold on

Chapter 32: 32 - hold on 32 ~Lisa’s POV Ramon stepped forward, his tone cold and dismissive. "Go back to your post, Lisa. Now." Damon added, "We’ll decide what to do with your little lover later." I felt my throat tighten. "Please...he’s not..." Kael’s glare cut me off like a blade. "I said go." I stood there for a moment, stunned, helpless. My mouth opened again, but nothing came out. They weren’t going to let me speak. They didn’t want the truth, they already believed what they wanted to believe. I looked at each of them, desperation clawing at my chest. They didn’t know Milo. He didn’t deserve this. He was kind. He treated me like a human being. And now because of a that, he might die. But they didn’t care. None of them did. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to bow my head even as the shame and panic burned through me. "Yes, sir," I whispered, and turned to leave. My legs felt like they were made of stone as I walked out of the room. I held it together until I reached the hallway, and then the tears came, hot and silent, running down my cheeks as I stumbled through the corridors like I didn’t recognize where I was. I couldn’t just sit back and let them kill him. I wouldn’t. By the time I reached the prison block, I was shaking. The stench of sweat and damp walls clung to the air, and the dim lighting made everything feel colder, crueler. The guard at the door barely looked up when I approached. He recognized me, of course, who in this place didn’t? "You’re not allowed here," he said gruffly. "I just need to see him. Please," I said, my voice hoarse. I dug into the pocket of my dress and pulled out the only thing I had left, my last card. It was supposed to be for food. Or for an emergency. But this was one, wasn’t it? I held it out, my hand trembling. "Let me see him. Just for five minutes." The guard stared at me, then down at the card. His eyes flicked around, checking to make sure no one was watching. After a tense moment, he snatched it from my hand and unlocked the gate. "Five minutes," he muttered. "If anyone asks, you weren’t here." I nodded quickly, barely breathing as I slipped inside. The hallway of cells was dark and damp, the iron bars lined with shadows. I walked past the first few before I finally saw him. Milo. He was sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, face bruised and swollen. When he looked up and saw me, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Lisa?" I knelt by the bars, tears already blurring my vision. "I’m so sorry," I whispered, gripping the cold metal between us. "I’m so, so sorry." "Lisa?" Milo whispered again, his voice rough and tired. I dropped to my knees in front of his cell, gripping the bars like they were the only thing holding me up. My heart was racing, and my words came out in a shaky rush. "I had to see you," I breathed. "I had to warn you." He sat up straighter, wincing a little, his face bruised and eyes swollen. Seeing him like that, it tore something open inside me. And it was all my fault. If I hadn’t been crying, if I’d just kept quiet... maybe they wouldn’t have found him. "They’re going to kill you," I said quickly, barely able to control the panic in my voice. "The triplets, Kael, Ramon, and Damon. They said they’re deciding your punishment, but I know them. I know what that means. They don’t talk like that unless they’ve already made up their minds. They want to make an example out of you. A message to everyone else." The words tumbled from my mouth too fast, but I didn’t care. Time was running out. Every second I spent here could be the last before someone walked in, before they took him away and I never saw him again. He didn’t say anything right away. His face stayed still, too still. But his silence wasn’t calm. I could see it. The faint twitch in his jaw, the way his fingers clenched just slightly on his knees, the way his eyes avoided mine for just a heartbeat too long. Fear. Not the kind people scream with. Not the kind that runs or flails or begs. No, this was deeper. He was afraid, but he buried it. Swallowed it. The kind of fear you learn to wear like armor because showing it makes you a target. Because men like him didn’t get the luxury of breaking. His eyes finally met mine, and there was a weight in them I couldn’t carry. "I didn’t do anything," he murmured. "I know." I leaned closer, lowering my voice to a whisper. "That doesn’t matter to them. You talked to me. You were kind. That’s all it took." He didn’t respond for a second. Just stared down at the floor like he was trying to process it all. "Can you run?" I asked, almost breathless. "If I find a way... if I get the key or distract someone or...or do something, can you escape?" He looked up at me slowly. "You’re asking me to escape from a prison owned by the triplets?" His lips twitched faintly. "You really think they’d let me live long enough to get through the gate?" I shook my head. "I don’t care what the odds are. I just... I can’t let them hurt you. Not because of me." His eyes softened at that, and something unspoken passed between us. For a second, the cold air, the walls, the fear, all of it faded. "I’ll try," he said quietly. "If you can make a way... I’ll run." I nodded quickly, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "Okay. Okay. Just hold on. I’ll figure something out." "Lisa...." he said suddenly, his voice firmer. "If you get caught helping me, they’ll hurt you too. Worse." I smiled faintly, my chest aching. "They already are." The sound of footsteps echoed faintly in the distance. I stood up fast, panicked. "I have to go. I’ll come back. I promise." He nodded once, and I tore myself away from the bars, heart pounding, thoughts racing.