Chapter 264

Lucas followed my gaze, his expression darkening as he caught sight of the mysterious man. "What's he doing?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted, feeling a shiver run down my spine. "Keep an eye on him without him or the Prince noticing you."

"I'll try," Lucas whispered one last time before Alex started barking orders at us.

As Prince Alexander led us through a series of drills, I tried to maintain my focus on the training, but my attention kept drifting back to the mysterious man. Lucas mirrored my unease, his eyes darting between the man and our training.

With each passing moment, the tension in the room seemed to grow thicker, suffocating us as we moved through the exercises. The air crackled with an unspoken sense of apprehension, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

Suddenly, the man made a subtle movement, his hand reaching into the pocket of his lab coat. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched, my muscles tensing in anticipation.

"Lucas," I whispered urgently, catching his attention. "He's doing something."

Lucas's gaze snapped back to the man, his expression hardening with determination. "I see him. Keep your guard up, Shana."

As the man's hand emerged from his pocket, I braced myself for whatever might come next. But instead of a weapon or a threatening gesture, he pulled out... a pen?

Confusion washed over me as I watched him scribble something down on a small notepad, his movements quick and precise. What was he writing? And why was he so secretive about it?

Before I could ponder further, Prince Alexander called out to us, breaking the momentary spell of tension. "Focus, you two! You're letting your guard down."

Shaken from the moment, I forced myself to push aside my concerns and concentrate on the task at hand. But the image of the man in the lab coat lingered in my mind, a nagging reminder that danger could be lurking closer than we realized.

When the man noticed Prince Alexander's outburst, he clicked his pen and put it back in his pocket. I watched as his shadow left the room.

As the man's shadow disappeared from the room, a sense of relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by a surge of curiosity. What was he doing here? And why did he seem so interested in our training session?

"Did you see that?" I whispered to Lucas, my voice barely audible over the sounds of our training.

Lucas nodded, his expression grave. "Yeah, I saw. It's definitely strange."

"We need to find out who he is and what he's up to," I insisted, my mind racing with possibilities.

Lucas glanced at Prince Alexander, who was engrossed in demonstrating a new combat technique. "We can't do anything right now. Let's figure it out after training. I don't want to upset the Prince."

Reluctantly, I nodded, realizing that Lucas was right. We needed to focus on the task at hand for now, but as soon as our session was over, we would need to confront the mystery of the man in the lab coat head-on.

With renewed determination, I turned my attention back to Prince Alexander, determined to give my all to the training and push aside the lingering doubts that lingered in the back of my mind.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that our encounter with the mysterious man was just the beginning of something much bigger...

As we returned to Grandma Jo's after the training session at the palace, my mind buzzed with questions and concerns.

The encounter with the mysterious man in the white lab coat had left me feeling uneasy, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about the whole situation.

"Shana," I said, breaking the silence as we sat on Grandma Jo's couch. "I don't want you going back there alone again. Not until we figure out what's going on."

Shana glanced at me, her expression grateful. "I agree. I feel much safer with you around."

I nodded, relieved that she felt the same way. "We need to tell Professor Black everything we saw. Maybe he can help us make sense of it."

Shana nodded in agreement, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Let's call him now."

Shana wasted no time in dialing Professor Black's number. I could hear her voice growing more animated as she recounted the details of our training session and the appearance of the mysterious man in the white lab coat.

"Thank you," Professor Black said over the phone. "The two of you did a brave thing today. Did anyone notice you looking at the man? Did he happen to notice?"

"I don't think so," I commented, glancing at Shana. "He looked too busy writing in his clipboard."

Professor Black let out a thoughtful hum. "Interesting. Keep an eye on him. If you notice anything else unusual, don't hesitate to let me know."

"Of course," Shana replied, her tone determined. "We won't let anything slip past us."

"I'll try to investigate what we have so far. But from what the two of you are telling me, this man doesn't sound like a regular doctor," Professor Black warned in a low voice.

"What do you think he's doing then?" Shana asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Professor Black's voice held a note of concern. "It's hard to say at this point. But the fact that he's observing your training sessions and behaving so mysteriously suggests he might have some connection to whatever is going on at the palace."

Shana's brows furrowed in thought. "Do you think he could be involved in whatever caused my sudden shifts?"

"It's a possibility," Professor Black admitted. "But we need more information before jumping to conclusions. The King requested him to be there for a reason."

"I don't like the sound of this." I shook my head, voicing my concerns. "I don't want you to train there anymore if you aren't safe."

"Lucas, I can't just stop now," Shana argued. "Not when we're so close to getting some answers. There's no other choice."

I sighed, knowing that Shana was right.

We couldn't afford to back down now, not when we were on the brink of uncovering crucial information. "Okay, but promise me you'll be careful if there's ever a point when I'm not around. If anything feels off, you let me know immediately."

"I promise," Shana reassured me, her determination unwavering.

With a heavy heart, I realized that despite my fears, I couldn't protect Shana from every danger she faced. All I could do was support her and watch her back as best as I could.

"Lucas is right, Shana," Professor Black continued over the phone. "There might be times Luca can't save you. I know that may sound scary, but you need to keep an open mind and make sure you protect yourself from harm's way."

Shana nodded, her expression grave. "I understand, Professor. I'll be vigilant."

"Good," Professor Black said. "And remember, don't take unnecessary risks."

"We won't," I assured him, feeling a renewed sense of determination.

After ending the call, Shana turned to me, her eyes filled with determination. "We're going to figure this all out."

"I like your confidence," I smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I feel better now... I guess all we can do it wait."

"Yeah, waiting isn't exactly my strong suit," I admitted with a chuckle. "But if it means keeping you safe, I'll do whatever it takes."

Shana smiled, her gaze softening. "Thanks, Lucas. I appreciate you looking out for me."

"Always," I replied, meaning every word.