Masuk"Stop." The single word was soft, but it cut through the quiet room. Killian froze. He looked up at her in confusion. "Stop blaming yourself," she told him gently. He shook his head blindly. "I did this—" "Killian. Stop." He fell silent, his chest rising and falling heavily. "I am tired," Luna whispered, the exhaustion clear in her pale features. "Not of you. I am tired of watching you carry every single piece of blame. I am tired of you staying stuck in the past." Killian stared at her, the breath stalling in his throat. "You are not even trying to move forward," she continued softly, her words building with a quiet, heartbreaking honesty. "You are just punishing yourself. And it's destroying you. I cannot bear the weight of watching that anymore. I can't." Killian’s jaw locked. He looked down at his soot-stained hands, completely lost. "You think you need my forgiveness," Luna said softly, drawing his eyes back to her. "You don't. I let go of the past a long time ago. It
Killian completely froze. The thrashing stopped. He stared at his underboss, the words echoing in his mind as if spoken underwater. He searched Marco’s panicked face for a long, breathless second, terrified to believe it.Marco gripped his arms tighter, grounding him. "She crashed into the pillar, but bystanders pulled her out before the engine caught fire. She's in an ambulance on the way to the hospital right now."The breath slammed into Killian.It hit him with such a staggering physical force that his entire body trembled. For a second, the world spun. The life he thought was completely gone was suddenly shoved back into his chest.Killian scrambled up from the pavement, rushing blindly toward the SUV. Marco ran after him, taking the driver's seat. They tore through the city streets like madmen.When they burst through the emergency room doors, Killian went straight to the reception desk. They directed him to the waiting area outside the trauma wing. He paced the floor, his heart
The wheels of the private jet touched the New York runway. The engines wound down with a low, heavy hum. The cabin door opened, and Killian stepped out into the biting wind.Waiting at the bottom of the steel stairs was a perfectly straight line of heavily armed Bratva guards and a convoy of black SUVs. As Killian’s boots hit the tarmac, the guards immediately stepped forward, moving to flank his sides.Killian stopped. He looked at the men surrounding him, his expression completely unreadable."No one follows me," he ordered. His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was absolute.The head of the security detail frowned, taking a hesitant step forward. "But Pakhan, the city is not—"Killian didn't say a word. He simply turned his head and gave the man a slow, silent stare. The deadly stillness in his pale gray eyes made the air on the runway feel ten degrees colder.The guard swallowed hard. He instantly shut his mouth, dipped his chin, and stepped back into line.Killian walked p
The air in the dimly lit warehouse was heavy, thick with the sharp smell of damp concrete, rust, and spilled gasoline.A man sat bound to a heavy wooden chair in the center of the room. His face was a bruised, bloody mess, his clothes torn. His chest heaved as his breathing came in jagged, uneven gasps. He stared terrified into the shadows.A few feet across from him, another man stood with his back partially turned. He was dressed entirely in black. His face was hidden in the dark, completely unreadable."Please..." the tied man begged, his voice cracking with absolute desperation. "I didn't know... I swear I didn't know. Please... just give me one more chance."The mysterious man did not move. He did not speak. He just stood there, staring down at the bleeding figure. The absolute silence in the massive building was far more terrifying than any verbal threat.Slowly, the man in black reached into his pocket. He pulled out a cigarette, slipping it quietly between his lips. He raised
LUNA POV The morning traffic in New York was unusually light. I parked my car half a block away from the café, grabbed my purse from the passenger seat, and stepped out into the cool air. The city was just starting to wake up. I walked down the familiar pavement, listening to the distant hum of cars and the soft chatter of people heading to work. I smiled, pulling my coat a little tighter. It was just another peaceful morning. I approached the corner of my street, reaching into my pocket for the café keys. Before I could make it to the front door, a sudden blur of motion caught my eye. A little girl, maybe three or four years old, came sprinting down the sidewalk. She had a head full of thick, bouncing curls and a tiny pink backpack strapped to her shoulders. She was looking back over her shoulder, laughing loudly at something behind her. She didn't see where she was going. She collided right into my legs. The impact made her stumble backward, her small arms flailing as she
THREE YEARS LATER - New YorkThe crisp morning air of New York City brushed against my face as I stepped out of my car. I shut the door, pulling my coat tighter around my shoulders. I took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent of city pavement and distant bakeries wake me up.Before I could even take a step toward the sidewalk, a voice called out behind me."Luna."I turned around. Maya, my best friend and manager, was walking up the street. She was holding a large paper cup of tea in one hand and a beautiful, fresh bouquet of white lilies in the other. She stopped in front of me, a teasing smile spreading across her face. She held the flowers out."Your usual," Maya said.I let out a soft laugh and took the bouquet from her. The flowers were gorgeous, wrapped neatly in simple brown paper."You know, one of these days, this mysterious admirer is going to have to actually show his face," Maya joked, bumping her shoulder against mine. "He has been sending these every single day for
The women returned to help me into the dress.It took twenty minutes. The gown was a construction of Italian silk and French lace and boning that required architectural precision to assemble. They laced the corset so tight I could barely expand my lungs. The skirt was so heavy with beading and layer
The morning began with hands that weren't mine pulling me from sleep.I opened my eyes to find three women already in my room, moving with efficient silence. One carried a garment bag. One held a case of cosmetics that looked more like surgical instruments. The third was setting up lights around my
He jerked me forward, away from where I'd fallen, and started dragging me through the snow. His grip on my arm was iron, painful, completely unforgiving. I stumbled trying to keep up with his long strides but he didn't slow down, didn't adjust his pace, just hauled me along behind him like cargo tha
I woke to the sound of wind battering the cabin walls.The storm hadn't stopped. Snow pressed against the windows in thick white sheets. The world outside had disappeared completely.I sat up on the couch where I'd fallen asleep. My neck ached from the awkward angle. The fire had burned down to noth







