CHAPTER 134: 134 - VERY WRONG

134

Belinda’s POV

I couldn’t breathe the moment I saw her.

Lisa.

Alive.

Walking around the palace like nothing had happened.

I thought I was seeing a ghost at first. My chest tightened so badly I almost screamed. That girl was supposed to be gone. Erased. Wiped out from this world. I had paid for it. I had planned it. I had made sure of it. But there she was, standing there, breathing, even walking around.

And what hurt me more was not just that she was alive, no, it was worse than that.

The triplets were fighting over her.

Damon’s eyes followed her like she was the only one that existed. It made me sick. It made me burn inside.

I clenched my hands so tightly behind my back that my nails cut into my skin. I could feel the sting but it was nothing compared to the fire in my chest. She should have been gone. My place should have been secure. My crown should have been unshakable. But now? Now she was back, and everyone was looking at her like she was some kind of miracle.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned, my pillow soaked with tears and anger.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I slipped out of bed, threw a dark cloak over my shoulders, and sneaked out of the palace. I knew exactly where I was going.

The rogue.

The man I had paid to do the job.

He was waiting where we had agreed, at the edge of the forest where the moonlight barely touched the ground. His hood was low, his hands tucked into his cloak. When he saw me, he bowed quickly.

"Luna Belinda," he started.

Before he could finish, my hand flew across his face. Smack.

He staggered back, shock flashing in his eyes.

"You fool!" I spat, my chest heaving. "Do you know what you’ve done to me? Do you know the humiliation I suffered today?"

He dropped to his knees instantly, his head low. "I’m sorry, my lady. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you?" My voice cracked with fury. "I paid you. I trusted you. And yet Lisa is alive. Alive! Breathing, walking, smiling in my palace while Damon looks at her like she is the goddess herself! You swore to me she would be gone. You swore!"

"I tried!" he shouted, then quickly lowered his voice again, trembling. "I swear on my life, I tried. But when I got to her house, she was gone. She had already left. I searched everywhere, but she slipped away. By the time I could track her, she was already in the palace."

I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and empty. "So what did I pay you for? Excuses? Lies?"

"No, no, my lady," he begged, still on his knees. "Please, believe me. I would not dare lie to you. I thought I could reach her later, but the palace... it is not easy to enter. Guards everywhere. The Alphas’ eyes watching. But I can do it. I can infiltrate. Give me another chance, and I will not fail you."

I stared down at him, my hands shaking. Part of me wanted to kill him right there, to end his useless life for failing me. But another part of me... another part of me knew he might still be useful.

I crouched low, my eyes boring into his. "You had better not be lying to me. Because if you are, I will make sure your death is slow. Painful. Do you understand?"

He nodded quickly, his forehead pressed against the dirt. "I understand, my lady. I will not fail again."

"Good," I whispered, my voice sharp as a blade. "Because you won’t just try again. You will work inside. You will be my eyes and ears in the palace. You will get close, so close that no one will ever suspect. And when the time is right..." I leaned closer, my lips almost brushing his ear. "...you will finish what you failed to do."

He swallowed hard. "How do I get in?"

I stood up slowly, straightening my cloak, letting the heavy fabric fall neatly over my shoulders. My movements were deliberate, sharp, because I wanted him to see the authority in me, to feel the weight of my anger. My voice came out low but strong, steady even though my heart was racing.

"I will handle that," I said, each word cutting through the cold night air. "I’ll find you a job inside the palace. It doesn’t matter what position it is, guard, servant, cleaner, I don’t care. What matters is that you will get in."

He lifted his head slightly, hope flickering in his eyes, but I leaned closer, making sure my tone left no space for foolishness.

"Once you are in," I continued, "you will stay quiet. Patient. Invisible. You will not draw attention to yourself. You will not act on your own. You will not make a single move until I tell you to. And then..." I let the words hang in the air for a heartbeat, watching him swallow nervously. "...when I give the word, you will strike."

His head bobbed up and down so fast it almost looked ridiculous. "Yes, my lady. Yes. I swear I will not disappoint you again. I swear it." His voice trembled, but his eagerness was desperate, almost pitiful.

I didn’t speak right away. Instead, I just looked at him. Really looked at him. His face was pale, dirt smeared across his cheek, his eyes darting between my expression and the ground like a frightened animal. My chest burned with anger still, anger at him, at Lisa, at everything that had gone wrong.

"You’d better not," I finally said, my voice hard as steel. "Because this is your last chance. Fail me again, and I will end you myself."

His eyes widened, fear sparking inside them, and he dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the dirt. "Yes, my lady," he whispered quickly. "I understand. I will not fail. I promise you. I swear on my life."

I turned away from him without another word, my cloak sweeping the ground behind me, catching some of the dust from his bowing form. Each step I took back toward the palace felt heavy but sure, my boots crunching softly on the dried leaves scattered on the path.

And though my chest still carried that burning anger, though my heart throbbed with bitterness, my lips curled slightly into a twisted smile. It wasn’t joy, not satisfaction, but a cruel, bitter thing. Because this time, I knew, I was closer than ever to getting what I wanted.

Lisa thought she could survive me. She thought she could take the triplets’ attention and leave me standing in the shadows.

But she was wrong.

So very wrong.