로그인LUNA 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
"Give me the keys," Killian ordered, his voice a lethal roar.The driver flinched and handed them over. Killian shoved him aside, jumped into the driver’s seat, and slammed his foot on the gas. The heavy SUV tires shrieked against the gravel, tearing out of the estate gates.Killian grabbed his phone from his pocket. His hands were shaking. He dialed her number.Ring... Ring... Ring..."Pick up," he ground out, swerving violently around a slow-moving truck on the main road. "Pick up the phone, Luna."It went straight to voicemail. He dialed again. And again. Nothing.He drove like a madman, his chest tight with a sickening, terrifying dread. He didn't know which way she went. He had no way to track her.Suddenly, his phone vibrated in the passenger seat. Killian snatched it up, hoping to see her name, but it was one of his perimeter scouts. He pressed answer."Speak," Killian barked."Pakhan..." the man’s voice was completely breathless, laced with pure horror. "Boss... Madam’s car. T
The sharp smack echoed loudly in the room. The sting burned his cheek, but Killian didn't even flinch. He slowly turned his head back to her, keeping his eyes completely dead."You selfish bastard," she choked out, crying. "You bleed yourself out in underground pits to play the martyr, you shut me out for months, and now you just... you pay me off?""It is what you wanted," he said coldly."I wanted my husband!" she screamed, tears pouring down her face. "I wanted the man who fought for me! I wanted the man who protected me! I didn't want this... this cold machine!"Killian’s hands curled into fists resting on his knees. He dug his nails so hard into his own palms that the skin nearly broke. He just sat there, taking her screams."Say something!" she yelled, hitting his shoulder."Sign the papers, Luna," he said, his voice empty.She stepped back, gasping for air. "I regret it," she sobbed, wiping her face. "I regret the day you took me. But most of all... I regret that I ever loved a
KILLIAN — Third Person POVKillian stood in front of the tall mirror in the master bedroom, staring at his own reflection. His jaw was locked tight. He pulled the silk tie around his collar, pulling the knot perfectly into place. He smoothed his hands down the lapels of his dark, immaculate suit.He was putting on his armor.His chest physically ached, a heavy, suffocating pressure pressing down on his ribs. He was a deeply selfish man. Every dark, possessive instinct inside his blood screamed at him to go to her room, lock the door, and never let her leave. He wanted to drop to his knees and beg her to stay. He wanted to hold her until the memory of every tear he caused her faded away.But he knew the truth. If he kept her, there would always be tears in her eyes. The trauma he inflicted on her was too deep. He was a killer. He was her tormentor. If he did not let her go today, he would slowly break her day by day until there was nothing left. For her own happiness, he had to set her
LUNA POVMy head throbbed.I opened my eyes, blinking against the harsh morning light filtering through the bedroom curtains. I reached out blindly, my hand patting the mattress next to me.It was flat. Cold.I pushed myself up, rubbing my temples. The dull ache of the hangover was heavy. I looked at the empty pillow beside me. The space felt incredibly hollow, but I pushed the covers off and forced myself out of bed. I took a quick shower, dressed in a simple oversized sweater and jeans, and walked downstairs.The house was too quiet. There were no guards stationed in the hallway, no maids moving around the kitchen.I walked toward the living room.Killian was sitting on the large leather sofa.My footsteps slowed to a stop. I paused, genuinely surprised. It had been months since I last saw him wearing a full suit and a perfectly knotted tie. The last time he dressed like this, we were still living at the Alatorre mansion. His posture was rigid, his broad shoulders squared and tense
Just for a second. Just to look back one more time.The fire had burned out completely, leaving nothing but cold ash. The couch where I'd slept. The table where we'd eaten in silence. The window where I'd watched storms and counted days and tried to remember who I was supposed to be.It was just a c
The snow was deeper here, coming up to my shins, soaking through my thin pajama pants immediately. I should have gone back inside. I knew that. But my feet kept moving forward anyway, carrying me toward the center of the clearing where the space opened up even more.I stopped and tilted my head back
Luna's POVThe road had disappeared an hour ago.Now we were on something that wasn't really a road at all. Just a dirt track cutting through dense forest. Branches scraped against the SUV. The headlights carved a tunnel through absolute darkness.I sat in the back seat. Staring at nothing.My body
BOOM.The shockwave hit us. A wall of pressure and sound. The SUV rocked violently.Ahead of us, the east wing of the estate erupted in flames. Fire bloomed into the night sky. Debris rained down. Stone. Glass. Burning wood."DOWN!" Volkov roared.He threw the SUV into reverse. Backed up fast. Spun







