Chapter 173: Close Call

After we found the listening device, everything about Camilla’s moves finally made sense.

The room felt tighter, heavier, like the air itself was warning us not to relax. From that moment on, it didn’t matter whether Julain was involved or not. Anyone could be used. Any loose end could turn into a blade aimed at my back.

We couldn’t afford mistakes.

Lewis gave Theo a quiet nod, the kind that carried authority without a single raised word.

“Handle it,” he said.

“I will,” Theo replied, already moving.

Less than ten minutes later, Julain was escorted into the room.

Just as we suspected, Camilla hadn’t stopped with me. A device had been hidden inside his coat as well, tucked so neatly it would’ve escaped anyone who wasn’t looking for it.

I felt a chill crawl up my spine. Thankfully, Julain and I hadn’t spoken at all on the way here. If we had, everything would have unraveled long before now.

The moment he stepped inside, Julain lifted his hands slightly, his voice low and strained.

“I didn’t know,” he said immediately.

I believed him.

“Sit,” I told him gently, motioning to the chair.

He obeyed, but the man sitting in front of me barely resembled the confident heir I remembered. His shoulders slumped, his eyes dull and hollow. Though he was only in his early thirties, exhaustion clung to him like an old wound that refused to heal.

He looked worn down by loss after loss.

I felt no pity.

At least he was still breathing. At least people still noticed when he was gone.

I hadn’t been given that mercy before.

Back then, I vanished, and no one came looking.

Compared to that, Julain was lucky whether he realized it or not.

People rarely see their blessings while they still have them. What feels like suffering now is often only the surface of something far worse waiting ahead.

I broke the silence.

“She did the same thing to me. Right after the contest, when I confronted her. She’s been watching me ever since,” I said calmly. “Julain, why were you at the Hudsons today? Was it really just chance?”

He lifted his head slowly, took a sip of water, then spoke.

“I was keeping an eye on you. When I saw how shaken you were by that man, I followed him after you left. I didn’t expect you to come back.”

Julain had always been cautious, almost timid. But following someone dangerous on instinct alone that took nerve. Even I hadn’t expected that from him.

“Do you know who he is?” I asked quietly. “That man.”

Both Julain and Lewis looked at me when I answered.

“He’s the one who killed me.”

The room went still.

“Elena,” Lewis said sharply, his grip tightening around me, “you went near him?”

“Yes,” I said. “Camilla sent him to test me. The knife. The blood. The slaughtered animal. The snow on the ground. She wanted to see if I would break.”

Julain took a step toward me without thinking, but Lewis was already there, pulling me into his arms, his presence firm and grounding.

“Were you scared?” he asked softly.

I held onto his wrist like it was the only solid thing left in the world.

“I was terrified,” I admitted. “But I used it. I leaned into the fear. RIley was known to panic at the sight of blood, especially after what happened before. So it made sense. It bought me time.”

I exhaled slowly.

“What I didn’t expect was the woman. The one who acted kind. She stole my brooch when I wasn’t paying attention and planted the device inside it. If I hadn’t checked… Camilla would already know who I am.”

Julain’s face darkened. “Then destroy it. Now.”

“No,” I said at the same time Lewis did.

“If we destroy it,” Lewis added, voice calm but sharp, “she’ll know we’ve discovered it. And once she knows that, she’ll change her game. That’s dangerous.”

I nodded. “Exactly. Where was yours?”

“In my lighter,” Julain replied. “She hugged me and swapped it. If Theo hadn’t checked, I would’ve never known.”

Camilla never moved without a plan.

“That’s why we don’t destroy it,” I said slowly. “We use it. We let her hear what we want her to hear. We confuse her. We pull her out into the open.”

Julain frowned, then understanding dawned. “You want to feed her lies.”

“Yes,” I said. “Carefully chosen ones.”

Lewis reached into the drawer and placed a new phone in front of Julain.

“Use this from now on,” he said firmly. “And remember never call her Elena again. Not out loud. Not in private. Camilla is watching. Today it’s a device. Tomorrow it could be something worse.”

Julain swallowed hard and nodded. “I understand… Uncle Lewis.”

Lewis’s voice stayed calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath it, the kind that carried command without effort.

“I’ll have Theo check everything again,” he said. “Every room. Every device. We assume nothing is clean unless we’ve confirmed it ourselves. From now on, anytime you deal with Camilla or anyone tied to her, you move carefully. She doesn’t hunt alone. She never has.”

Julain’s jaw tightened. His hands clenched at his sides.

“The man who did this to you is right here,” he said, frustration leaking through. “And we’re just going to let him walk away?”

I understood that anger. I felt it too. It burned hot in my chest, urging me to strike first, to tear the threat out at its root. But Lewis didn’t flinch.

“It’s not that simple,” he replied. “If we grab him now, the people behind him will disappear. They’ll retreat, regroup, and come back smarter. Camilla has connections in more than one territory. She’s been moving between the Morrigans and the Hales for a reason. If we rush this, we’ll force her hand and we don’t know what she’ll throw next.”

The room fell quiet.

Then Lewis added, almost casually, “There’s a strong chance their usual contact point is an auto repair shop.”

Julain’s head snapped up. “I know that place. I picked Camilla up there once when her car was being serviced. I remember it now.”

He paused, eyes narrowing as memory sharpened.

“There was a tall mechanic. He wasn’t working. Just standing there. Watching. That’s the man you mentioned Silas. I couldn’t forget his stare.”

“That makes his name a decoy,” Lewis said flatly. “If he gave it to us that easily, it’s because he wanted us to hear it.”

Julain let out a slow breath, then straightened.

“Decoy or not, their real target isn’t me,” he said. “It’s the Hale residence. I still have value to them. They won’t risk hurting me.” He looked between Lewis and me, resolve settling in. “Tomorrow, I’ll go to that repair shop.”

Lewis frowned instantly. His body language shifted, protective instinct flaring before he could hide it.

“That’s dangerous.”

“I won’t walk in blindly,” Julain said. “I’ll stage a breakdown nearby. Call for a tow. While they’re fixing the car, I’ll look around. If there’s an underground entrance, I’ll find it.”

Then he turned to me.

“Elena,” he said quietly, “I want to do something for you too.”

I studied his face. He wasn’t acting out of guilt anymore. This was choice. Intention.

Truthfully, he was the best option. Lewis had already sent people to investigate that place, but nothing surfaced. Outsiders raised alarms. Julain wouldn’t.

“Alright,” I said after a moment. “We’ll set it up. Keep your phone on you at all times. If anything feels off, you pull out immediately. No heroics.”

“I understand,” he replied.

Lewis waved a hand, signaling the end of the discussion. “It’s late. Get some rest.”

Julain lingered for a second, his gaze resting on me quiet, heavy, full of things he didn’t say. Then he turned and left, alone.

At this point, he had no control over what stood between Lewis and me.

The door closed.

Lewis pulled me into his arms without a word. His hold was firm, grounding, the kind that steadied my breathing without asking permission.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t expect her to be this bold. If I had known, I would’ve kept Theo closer to you.”

I rested my forehead against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm beneath.

“It’s not your fault,” I said softly. “You warned me. She came to test us. If this failed, she would’ve tried something else. At least now, we saw it coming.”

I tilted my head up to meet his eyes.

“Are you really okay with Julain taking that risk?”

Lewis didn’t answer immediately. His gaze darkened, thoughtful, calculating.

That silence told me everything.

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