MasukA month later, she had seen him again. Till then, she had no idea who he was.
In the high-class club, which was exclusive for the Elite, Damian Blackwell, the important man of the century, was sitting in the VVIP section. Being surrounded by groups of influential men who had waited for months just to win a minute of audience with him justified his sovereignty. His eyes lingered momentarily at that beautiful woman on the bottom floor who was drinking nonstop without any regard for tomorrow. He silently took a sip of some expensive brand of French wine. No one could penetrate his thoughts.
Not long after, his eyes shifted back to the person who was desperately fawning over him. It was noteworthy to say that the people who surrounded him included not only the President of some big, renowned international corporations but also several embassy members from foreign states. Yet, the nonchalance in Damian's demeanour did no justice to their status. Despite their important posts and flattering smiles, he was sitting there with a calm look on his face and a refined ambience in his air.
Looking ever so unapproachable and aloof. From that, one could infer that this man was several levels above any of those who surrounded him that night.
That night, on the down floor, Luna had chugged down a great number of drinks. In her struggles to dissolve her pain, she had long surpassed the pre-decided safe threshold.
"Lulu, you said it would be the last one. This is not what you said when you asked me to tag along."
"Now what? You are determined to get totally wasted?"
"Luna Hart, we have classes tomorrow!"
"How about this: let me take you back?"
"Lulu, stop! This is the fifth one!" Sierra Lane's voice of complaints came at regular intervals. However, Luna paid no heed.
"Stop nagging," she gave a dismissive gesture and asked the mixer for another glass of some high alcohol high-alcohol-content beverage.
"..."
"I-I'mm not ggoing home tonight." Her speech had only begun to slur now. Yet, the determination in her eyes was crystal clear.
"Lulu!"
Luna Hart giggled lightly.
"This is it! I am going to call your brother!"
Luna paused. Playfully, she placed a finger under her chin as if she were thinking about something. Laughing lightly, she met Sierra Lane's eyes once again.
"I wonder how surprised your brother would be once I tell him about the things you did with your boyfriend in the backseat of his new car."
"..."
"And how beautiful his expressions would be once he realises the stains on those seats weren't ice cream but actually—"
"For f*ck sake, shut up!" Sierra Lane's eyes were furious. Yet a deep crimson crept up her face. It was a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"See? It is wise if we don't involve our family in this. You are going to cover up for my absence, and that's how it's gonna be."
"This is bullying. Lulu, you! You have no shame."
Luna smiled at Sierra. After chugging down the remnant contents of the glass, she looked back at her. Propping her chin over her hand, her drunken eyes looked directly at Sierra's reddening face.
"How come? I wasn't the one who did those things."
"I shouldn't have told you."
"That was a mistake you made! Now suffer!"
Luna was naturally so provocative. After numbing her caution with alcohol, her provocations had reached entirely new heights. That night, Sierra had already suffered a lot at her hands. Sierra didn't know what to do with her. She just didn't know. Other than throwing her head over the counter in desperation, she couldn't do anything anyway. She could already hear her brother's scolding for not completing her assignments.
"What was I thinking when I agreed to accompany you?"
"Lulu, my dear Lulu, you are going to regret it tomorrow."
"Have you ever drunk this much before? Think of the terrible hangover awaiting you!"
Yet no matter what Sierra said, it had no effect on Luna. Gritting her teeth, Sierra finally said,
"You are like this because of Ethan? Let me tell you, that bastard is totally not even worth a hangover!"
Something flicked in Luna's eyes.
"Who says I am here because of him? This is my life, and I want to get drunk today."
Sierra Lane was about to retort, but stopped. She had just caught the subtle change of expression on Luna's face. She froze for a second.
'Lulu, with your attitude, you almost had me believe that you really didn't care. But guess I was wrong. You still care for that bastard?'
Sierra Lane didn't bring that matter up again. With a sigh, she resigned.
"Being me one too!"
"That's my girl!" Luna's eyes gleamed in happiness; she clapped happily and kissed Sierra's cheek.
"Just remember that I am doing it this once. There won't be any other time."
Sierra eyed Luna with a glare.
"Of course!"
No matter how playful and provocative Luna was, when it came to relationships, she had her heart settled on only one man, Ethan Monroe. For him, she had forsaken everything. Now that she had caught him with another woman in the middle of the act, Luna's state of mind had been chaotic for a week. Although Luna did her best not to make it obvious and continuously told everyone that she was over him, this time Sierra had seen right past her.
"There won't be any next time. Come on, you need to lose yourself sometimes, too."
Luna's eyes fell on a couple dancing happily in the club. Gradually, her smile dropped. Inevitably, she succumbed to the memories of Ethan. She closed her eyes for a second and thought.
Where did she go wrong?
She just didn't agree to be physical with him until she was eighteen. To compensate, she had done her best to become a woman in his ideals. Despite her naturally wild personality, she had been restraining herself all those years. Just for his sake. Just to be a wife material for him.
Luna felt a dull ache in her heart.
'Sierra is right. He is not worth it.'
What pained her wasn't his betrayal. What pained her more was her naivety. She was so naive to think that he was sincere with her.
'Guess this is how men are. A man who can love a woman without having her physically must be a myth.'
She had reached a conclusion that night. A conclusion she would holf firmly till a tragedy proved her wrong.
And that conclwas going to make her do something that she would regret for the rest of her life.
"What a beautiful golden cage," Luna remarked as she strolled through the resplendent garden, its lush greenery and vibrant blossoms stretching as far as the eye could seeShe took a spot under a small tree. She could not remain in that beautiful room. Her eyes stared aimlessly at the lush greenery that stretched ahead as her mind put the events of last night on a loop.Once the haziness subsided, a sharp look surfaced within her eyes. Her lips tilted into an insightful smile."I am not going to trust you. Not so easily."After he had kissed her, she had been shocked. Too shocked to think or say anything."This is the reason you are here." His voice was devoid of emotion. The kiss was nothing more than a small peck. No feelings. Nothing. Just cold lips touching. But perhaps he didn't know. It was her first kiss. She had been with Ethan for years, but their relationship never exceeded the point of holding hands. When it came to physical stuff, she was still a clueless teenager.Firs
Once those words and that voice landed in her ears, her heart rate spiked.Luna had never been asleep. Since the moment he had taken his first step into her room, she had been alert.However, she had instantly started to pretend to be asleep upon confirming it was him.It wasn't because she was afraid of him. She wanted to know how he would act when her guard was down.He was the man who had her fate, her life, in his hands. He was the one she had to fight. Only by knowing how he would behave when her guard was down would she understand what he truly wanted.Inside the blanket, her tiny fists tightened. But because they were hidden, Damian couldn't notice her nervousness. She forced herself to maintain a calm facial expression and continued to pretend."There is no use for it. I already know that you are awake." His powerful voice landed on her ears once again, sending a shiver down to her core.However, this time it wasn't his voice alone. His hand reached out and took the liberty to
As Damian approached the specific room, he slowed down. Outside the room, three maids were lined up, waiting. When they saw the master of the house approaching, they became alert after exchanging knowing, fretful looks. Before he even asked, one stepped forward to explain."Ms Hart said we were being an inconvenience by making her uncomfortable. She said she was tired and needed a nap. She insisted on being left alone.""Is she asleep?" He asked as his eyes wandered to the door."Mr Blackwell, it isn't nine pm yet. We intended to go in and wake her up at eight-thirty."After that, the maid stepped back, falling back in line and perfect silence.Damian glanced at them briefly. "Did she readily accept your assistance?"Another maid stepped forward, speaking with her head down and without making eye contact, "No, Mr Blackwell.. Ms Hart had been insistent on doing everything herself.. She didn't take kindly to our attempts at helping her. She outrightly rejected us and asked us to leave"
"Make sure she doesn't lack anything." In the spacious office, after relaying his message to Harlan, Daimen put back the phone. He intertwined his fingers and fell into deep thoughts. One could sense a peculiar emotion in his eyes. His lips were slightly tilted into a smile.His thoughts were masked from the world. "Is this Luna Hart, that girl who slap-" Elias coughed mid-sentence once he felt an icy look from Damien. He adjusted his tie and restated. "I mean, Daimen, why are you giving her such good treatment? Aren't you supposed to punish her?""What is the worst treatment? It depends on what that person perceives to be the worst treatment." Thinking about that girl, something dark twinkled in Damien's usually cold eyes. Elias caught the emotion. "And yes, she will get her due punishment.""Punishment?"Damien leaned back in his chair as he said."She can't be forgiven for what she did out in public..." Damien trailed off and fell into a contemplative silence.Elias listened eager
An extravagant black car was waiting outside. Luna dragged out her belongings. She greeted her Aunt Maggie and Cousin Evan with a smile, exchanging kind words. Only once she was outside did her smile fade, and her true expression surfaced.She wanted to speak to Brianna. But she neither had the time nor the heart. After hearing her words the previous day, Luna couldn't help but blame herself for bringing this burden onto her family.The driver seemed solemn and serious. He didn't utter a word from start to finish. Perhaps he wasn't allowed to. Were all the staff in Damian's manor so strict?Silence pressed heavily throughout the journey. Luna leaned back against the seat, contemplating what lay ahead.As they neared their destination, she slightly opened her eyes and peeked outside the window.The roads widened. Lush trees lined the sides, and expansive grounds stretched on either side. No other vehicles were in sight. The area was secluded, exclusive to the Blackwell family. The car
And exactly the same time the next day, Luna was in her room, packing the few things she had decided to take with her. There wasn't much—just a small collection of items that reminded her of her family and the fleeting moments of happiness she had managed to salvage over the years. A locket from Aunt Maggie, a photo of Evan and herself smiling before life had grown so complicated, a few books she had cherished—all carefully placed in a small suitcaseAt that moment, Brianna, Luna's cousin and Evan's younger sister, silently walked to her room. She stood leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, a deriding smile playing on her lips."I don't get it," Brianna said coldly.Luna looked up to find her standing there."What's up, Bree?" Luna asked, confused."You're going to be the woman of such a powerful man. You could literally have anything you want if you pleased him," Brianna said, her eyes void of the warmth that Aunt Maggie and Evan always had. "But you still act so unhappy and p







