His Heir, Her Secret - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Lucien
The moment Damon’s voice filtered through the speakerphone, something primal in me snapped. Not rage—rage would’ve been too loud, too reckless. This was colder. Sharper. A calculated fury.
That man thought he could resurface in Isla’s life and threaten her? Threaten Leo?
He had no idea who he was dealing with now.
I waited until Isla was with Leo, playing with blocks in the sunroom, before stepping into my office and locking the door behind me. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t used in a long time.
It rang twice.
“Mr. Vale.” A clipped, familiar voice answered. “It’s been a while.”
“Grant. I need a private intel sweep. No questions, no paper trail. A man named Damon Connolly just resurfaced in Isla’s life.”
“Isla Hart?” he asked, and I could almost hear the quick flipping of mental files.
“Yes.”
“And you want him… neutralized?”
“No,” I snapped. “I want information. Everything. His current location, phone records, bank activity, known associates. I want to know what he had for breakfast and who he pissed off last week. Discreet but thorough. Understood?”
Grant paused. “I’ll have a file in twelve hours.”
“Make it six.”
I ended the call and turned to my secure server. If this man thought he could scare Isla with cryptic notes and surveillance footage, I’d make sure he learned what it meant to be hunted in return. This wasn’t just about fear—it was about power. And Damon had made the mistake of challenging mine.
I called Marco next.
“Boss.”
“I need three more men on Isla and Leo—discreet, close. I don’t want her to know unless necessary.”
“Already done.”
Of course it was. Marco had always been three steps ahead. That’s why I trusted him.
“And the surveillance glitch from the penthouse building?”
“Traced back to a temporary loop device. Military-grade, planted on the security panel in the basement. Clean work—whoever placed it had access and knew our layout.”
“Inside job?”
“Maybe. Or someone paid off.”
“Find out.”
I hung up and stared at the list forming on my screen. I didn’t care how many favors I had to call in, or how many lines I had to blur—this wasn’t just business. This was my family.
A knock sounded on the office door. I unlocked it and Isla stepped in, her arms crossed loosely over her chest, eyes wary.
“You disappeared,” she said softly.
“I needed to make some calls.”
Her eyes flicked to the desk, to the laptop still open, the screen displaying a string of encrypted data.
“You’re preparing,” she said.
“Yes.”
She walked toward me. “You don’t have to fix this alone.”
“I’m not. But I am going to make sure that man never gets within breathing distance of you or Leo.”
Her throat bobbed with a swallow. “I thought I’d escaped all this.”
“You had,” I said. “Until he realized what he lost. And now he’s trying to scare you into submission.”
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t cry. Just nodded.
“He’ll try to control the narrative,” I continued. “Gaslight. Manipulate. Twist everything you say. I’ve dealt with men like him before. They don’t fight fair.”
She stepped closer. “And you do?”
I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “No, Isla. I fight to win.”
The fire in her gaze met mine. And even in her fear, she was radiant.
“I believe you,” she said quietly.
I pulled her into me. She rested her head on my chest, and I ran my fingers through her hair.
“I promise you,” I whispered, “he’s not going to take anything from you ever again.”