LOGINThe next morning came gray and silent, the sky over the mansion still heavy with clouds. The rain had stopped, but its memory clung to the windows, streaked and trembling like the house itself had cried overnight.Bryan stood by the window of his study, hands in his pockets, suit crisp, expression unreadable. He had invited his family to inform them about Justine. It was a perfect opportunity — Luna would be at work and his mother wouldn’t see her to say anything hurtful. It was better than Victoria’s idea of it being in the evening; that way Luna would be back from work.Marcus entered quietly, holding a sleek black folder.“Everyone’s here, sir. The extended family — they’re all waiting downstairs.”Bryan gave a short nod. “And Justine?”“In the side room,” Marcus said, his tone careful. “He’s still shaken… but calm.”Bryan’s eyes hardened slightly. “Good. He’ll need that composure.”He turned toward the mirror one last time, straightening his tie. Though the reflection staring back
As Luna dragged him to the dining room, Bryan knew that she was the only woman who could ever make him feel anything real.For the first time, he experienced something that resembled guilt, protectiveness, and fear of losing someone.He knew because he lacked these emotions — that’s why his “overprotectiveness” became possessive. He had never understood love, only ownership and control. But now he could see she made him want to be a better man.He was afraid. When his princess discovered his secret, he desperately wanted to hide from her — but now she had become both his greatest weakness and his greatest obsession.He was terrified she’d leave him, but that fear had gone out the window now as she held his hand in a tight grip.Now sitting in the dining room, there was silence — the air thick with the smell of rain and the faint aroma of roasted herbs from the kitchen.The chandelier flickered softly above them, casting golden reflections on the polished table. The table, long and gle
Bryan sat in his study long after Victoria left, the dim light casting sharp shadows across the room. The rain had stopped, but its scent still lingered in the air — damp, cold, and heavy with unease.The fireplace flickered weakly, the glow reflecting off the glass of half-finished whiskey on his desk. It was silent, too silent, except for the faint ticking of the antique clock that seemed to mock his restlessness.His reflection in the window stared back at him: composed on the outside but burning underneath. Every decision he’d made in the last forty-eight hours replayed in his mind — Walter’s screams, Luna’s tears, Justine’s terrified expression.Bryan leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. He had control over everything — the company, the family, the empire — but when it came to Luna, control slipped through his fingers like water.He whispered to the empty room, “She looked at me like I was a monster.”The words hung in the air, soft but sharp.And maybe she
Luna sat still long after Victoria stopped talking.The clock ticked softly on the wall, each sound stretching time into something unbearable.“Inherited darkness.”The words echoed through her mind like a curse.Her gaze drifted to the window — to the sky that seemed too bright, too calm, for the storm tearing through her chest.Bryan’s name lingered on her tongue like a wound she couldn’t stop touching.Victoria’s voice was gentle. “You’re quiet, babe.”Luna swallowed hard. “I just… I don’t know what to think, Vic. I thought Bryan’s anger — his violence — came from pain, from choices. But this—” her voice faltered, “this sounds like it’s in his blood.”Victoria reached for her hand, squeezing it. “It doesn’t mean he’s doomed to it. He’s still Bryan. The man you know.”Luna shook her head slowly. “The man I know?” Her voice broke, soft but trembling. “The man I know cared about people around him even though he calms not to. The man I know taught me how to swim. The man I know calls
Luna and Victoria had their breakfast in silence, while Luna’s mind kept running in circles, wondering what Victoria would tell her about Bryan’s past.As soon as they were done eating, Luna sat on the couch in her room, ready to know the reason behind it all.Victoria, seeing her eagerness, took a deep breath before sitting beside her.Then she began, “Bryan has what you can call an inherited darkness.”Victoria paused, scanning Luna’s face.Swallowing hard, Luna said, “I don’t understand what you mean by inherited darkness.”“Some cruelty is caused by trauma, or poverty, or any factor you could think of,” Victoria continued. “While some people are simply born wrong — charming, brilliant, but emotionally hollow.”“You’re confusing me, Vic. I don’t understand,” Luna said.“Just follow what I’m saying carefully; you’ll understand, okay?” Victoria replied, patting Luna’s hair gently.“You already know the Blackwoods come from a long line of aristocrats, entrepreneurs, and political elit
After leaving Luna's room, Bryan stood by the window in his study, staring into the garden as the rain kept falling. It was like it was matching his emotions.Luna’s absence gnawed at him, but he wouldn’t regret what he did because these were the things that made the man who he was.He whispered, almost to himself, “If love makes me weak… then let weakness be the fire that burns this family to ash.”The reflection in the glass showed a man he barely recognized — tired eyes, bloodied knuckles from last night’s punch, and a heart that would always still beat for her.Picking up his phone, he called the only person he knew that could get through to Luna.“Hey bro, how are you doing? You called me today — hope I’m safe,” Victoria said; her smile could be heard in her voice.“Veekee,” Bryan said.“What’s wrong? You sound— oh my goodness, you called me Veekee, not Victoria. Something’s wrong,” Victoria said.She knew when Bryan called her Veekee it meant he was sad, angry, or had something







