002: My moon.

~~~Rhea~~~

Addie and I finally stepped out of the suite, giggling as we headed toward the main hall. Even though money was tight as hell, my parents had gone all out and booked one of the most expensive hotels here in Northaven, Rotterdam. The second we walked in, the whole atmosphere shifted. The music was still playing softly in the background, but everyone went weirdly quiet. Like they were scared to even breathe too loud.

I knew exactly why.

My eyes scanned the crowded hall until they landed on him.

Logan Draegor.

He sat like he owned the entire fucking universe, dark aura rolling off him in waves. And Jesus! The man was handsome as fuck. He looks just like a walking angel with traits of a demon.

Tall, broad-shouldered, jet-black hair with a few silver strands, sharp jaw, and those cold obsidian eyes that could freeze blood. He looked like a goddamn demigod who’d decided to wear a suit and ruin lives for fun. Beautiful in the most terrifying way possible. The kind of man who made people pray they never caught his attention.

A cold chill sank deep into my bones.

Sebastian sat beside him, rigid as a statue. He looked anything but relaxed, as if even taking a wrong breath next to Logan Draegor could earn him a death sentence.

“Rhea, baby, you’re here!” Mom’s voice snapped me out of it. She grabbed my arm gently, smiling. “Good, let’s start the engagement. Everyone’s waiting.”

I nodded, forcing my legs to move. As I walked toward the small stage with Sebastian, his whole face lit up. His eyes softened, warm and full of love.

“Damn, babe… you look so pretty,” he whispered, taking my hands.

Just like that, all the fear and weird tension melted away. I smiled back, heart fluttering. This was why I loved him. He made everything feel safe.

The engagement itself was quick and sweet. We exchanged rings, laughed through the vows, and kissed while everyone clapped. Simple and perfect.

But the second it was over, Logan was gone. He vanished like a damn ghost. The whole room seemed to exhale at once. People started talking louder, laughing again, breathing easier.

We danced, we ate, we had fun. For a while, everything felt right.

Then, in the middle of a slow dance with Sebastian, a waiter accidentally bumped into me. Cold champagne splashed all over the front of my apple-green dress.

“Shit! I’m so sorry, miss!” the waiter panicked, face pale. “I didn’t mean to— I’ll get towels right now—”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, giving him a small smile even though the dress was probably ruined. “Really, it’s okay. I’ll just go clean up.”

I excused myself from Sebastian with a quick kiss on his cheek and headed back toward the hotel suites, trying not to let the sticky champagne ruin my mood. The dress was already clinging to me in the worst way.

When I reached my suite door, I patted my small clutch and froze.

“Shit,” I muttered. No key card. I must’ve left it inside earlier.

I turned to head back downstairs when I noticed the door to the suite right next to mine was slightly open. I peeked inside. Empty. Thank Jesus. No one was there.

“Perfect,” I whispered and slipped in quietly. I hurried into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and started dabbing at the big wet stain on my dress as fast as I could. The champagne smell was strong, but at least it wasn’t spreading anymore.

Just as I was about to leave, a deep, smooth baritone voice floated in from the main room.

My entire body went rigid.

I slowly stepped out of the bathroom, heart banging in my chest, and there he was.

Logan Draegor.

He stood near the window, phone pressed to his ear, talking in a low, cold tone. The second our eyes met, the air got sucked out of the room. Those obsidian eyes locked onto mine like a predator spotting prey. A cold, heavy dread seeped straight into my bones, spreading down my spine and making my fingers tremble.

He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, then took away his eyes unbothered as if he never saw me, and dropped down onto the big lounge couch, scrolling through his phone like I was background noise.

Shit. This is his suite.

My face burned. “I’m so sorry,” I blurted out, already backing toward the door. “I didn’t know this was your room. I’ll leave right now.”

I turned and grabbed the handle, twisting it hard.

It didn’t budge.

I twisted again. Nothing. My heart started racing.

“What the fuck…” I muttered, yanking harder. I dug a hairpin out of my hair and tried jiggling the lock like I’d seen in movies. Still nothing.

Holy fucking christ. Don't tell me it’s jammed.

I swallowed hard and turned back to him, voice shaky. “Sir… the door isn’t opening.”

No response. He didn’t even glance up from his phone.

I quirked a brow. Was he seriously playing deaf right now?

I cleared my throat louder. “Um, Mr. Draegor? The door is stuck. I can’t get out.”

Still nothing. He just sat there, cold as ice, like I was invisible. Why was he like this? Was he comfortable being locked in here with me? Tch. Of course he didn’t care. He probably didn’t give a fuck.

Worse, I didn’t have my phone. Everyone downstairs was going to start worrying soon. What the hell would they think if they found out I was locked in a room with Sebastian’s godfather?

I was about to try the door again when suddenly —click— the lights went out.

Everything plunged into darkness.

The room instantly felt smaller. Hotter and suffocating. Sweat prickled on my skin as the air grew thick and heavy. I couldn’t see shit. My breathing picked up, fast and shallow.

Suddenly, I heard a heavy thud— like something big collapsing onto the floor.

My heart flew to my throat.

“Mr. Logan?” I called out, voice shaky.

No answer.

Fuck. What the hell was that?

Even though I couldn’t see shit, I started moving carefully toward where he’d been sitting, arms stretched out in front of me. My foot hit something solid. A body. My whole body went rigid.

“Logan?” I whispered.

I dropped to my knees fast, patting the floor until my fingers brushed his phone. I turned on the flashlight with trembling hands.

He was on the ground.

Gasping. Struggling. Clutching at his own chest like he was fighting something inside his body. His face was twisted in pain, skin pale, veins standing out on his neck. He looked like he was dying.

Cold dread slammed into me.

“Oh my God… Logan!” I crawled closer, heart pounding so hard it hurt. “What’s wrong? Talk to me!”

He didn’t answer. Just groaned low and deep, body jerking as he fought for air.

What should I do?

I grabbed his big hand and started rubbing it firmly, trying to ground him. With my other hand, I quickly unbuttoned the top of his shirt so he could breathe better, then pressed my palms against his chest and rubbed slow, soothing circles over his heart and back.

“Come on,” I whispered desperately. “Breathe. Please just breathe.”

It took a few terrifying seconds, but something shifted. His breathing started to even out, even if it was still rough. His body relaxed just a little.

Then he collapsed forward, heavy against me, face buried in my chest as he dragged in ragged breaths.

I froze, one hand still on his back, the other in his hair without thinking. He was burning hot and shaking slightly.

Just then, the lights flickered back on and the AC kicked in, pushing cool fresh air into the room.

I stayed completely still, breathing fast, staring down at the most dangerous man in the city now slumped against me like I was the only thing keeping him here.

His breathing finally evened out against my chest.

Then his eyes opened.

For a second, he just stared at nothing, dazed. Then he seemed to realize where he was — slumped against me, face buried in my chest, my arms still around him. His whole body jerked like my touch had burned him. He scrambled back fast, pushing himself up until he was sitting on the floor a few feet away.

He stared at me.

Not the cold, terrifying Logan everyone feared. Not the ruthless man who made rooms go silent. Just… a man. Shocked. Raw. Almost vulnerable. His dark eyes widened as they locked onto mine, searching my face like he was seeing a ghost. His lips parted slightly, chest still rising and falling heavily.

Then something shifted in his expression — a deep, gut-punching realization.

He moved closer again, slowly this time. His big hand came up and cupped my face with surprising gentleness. His thumb brushed across my bottom lip, slow and reverent, while his obsidian eyes burned into my silvery ones.

“My Moon…” he whispered, voice rough and broken. “I finally found you.”