Semua Bab Bound To The Kingpin: Bab 51 - Bab 60

Luna"Good morning, Mrs. Hardin."Hardin's voice was a delicious rumble against my neck, warm and teasing. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet, but the feel of his arm tightening around my waist made my lips curl into a sleepy smile.“Good morning,” I murmured, my voice still laced with sleep.I turned in his arms, eyes fluttering open to meet his. He looked entirely too good for someone who just woke up—messy hair, scruffy jaw, and that annoyingly attractive smirk playing on his lips.“You slept well?” he asked, brushing a knuckle gently down my cheek.I nodded, letting my fingers drift lazily across his bare chest. “Like a baby. Maybe because someone tired me out last night.”He chuckled. “Someone had to make up for the stress yesterday.”I leaned in and kissed his jaw softly. “You’re impossible.”“And yet…” he rolled over, pinning me playfully beneath him, “You still married me.”I laughed, the sound muffled against his shoulder, heart already full just from waking up beside him.“I t

HardinThe silence in the house was maddening.For the first time in a long while, I hated coming home. I hated walking through the front door and not being greeted by her scent. No humming from the kitchen, no warm voice calling out my name, no Luna.Just quiet.It’s been a day since she left. Twenty-four hours of replaying our fight over and over again in my head, wishing I could go back and say something different—anything that would’ve stopped her from packing her bags and walking out the door.I ran a hand down my face, still in the same clothes from yesterday. I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t. Every corner of this damn house reminded me of her. Her laughter, her glares, her warmth. I had it all... and I blew it.Alice had been tiptoeing around me. She knew—probably heard every word of our argument. But she hadn’t asked. She just gave me that look yesterday, the one that said she knew I was a mess and she didn’t want to make it worse.This morning, she left a cup of coffee on the table

LunaI stood under the warm spray of the shower, letting the water wash over my skin and the mess of emotions I’d been carrying. I didn’t know how long I stood there, but when I finally stepped out, I felt a little lighter. No longer weighed down by anger.I dried off and reached for the first thing I saw: one of Hardin’s shirts hanging on the bathroom hook. It smelled like him—spice and wood and something entirely addictive. I slipped it on, the hem brushing against my thighs, and padded barefoot through the quiet hallway.The scent of something cooking pulled me toward the kitchen. I froze for a moment in the doorway.Hardin stood with his back to me, shirtless, stirring something in a pot like he had all the time in the world. The morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting golden stripes over his toned back and the tattoo that curled down one shoulder. His hair was slightly messy—probably from running his hand through it a hundred times—and his sweatpants hung low on hi

LunaI sat quietly, hands resting on my lap as I watched the discussion unfold before me.It still hadn’t sunk in.The board of directors were seated around the long table, flipping through documents and sharing their insights, opinions, and projections. And then Hardin.Leaning forward, his brows furrowed in concentration, he nodded as one of the members pointed out a clause in the proposal. He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t wave off concerns or let his usual arrogance bleed through. He was listening. Asking questions. Offering solutions.All for me.I still couldn’t believe it.He did this. He arranged this meeting. He brought them all together. I’d never seen this side of him before. The version of Hardin who didn’t just say he cared—but showed it.And damn it, it messed with my heart more than I was willing to admit.Hardin shifted in his seat, "With all the strong evidence we've gathered, they’ll have no choice but to pull away," he said. "It won’t be easy—especially with government

LunaI still couldn’t believe I was on a private jet.A whole private jet. Like, who just casually owns one?Hardin DeVante, apparently.When I asked him about it, he said, “I have more money than you can imagine,” like it was nothing. Just like that. As if he hadn’t already shocked me yesterday by coming home with a mountain of shopping bags.He’d gone behind my back and bought everything—heels, gowns, casuals, even lingerie. And when I asked why he didn’t take me, he said, “Because you’d stop me.” And he wasn’t wrong.I turned in my seat and looked at him. He was typing away, eyes glued to the screen of his laptop, brows slightly furrowed like the world depended on whatever he was doing. He hadn't said much since we boarded, just a soft kiss and a "Get comfy" before diving into work.I nudged his arm. “Are you going to ignore me for the whole flight?”He didn’t look up. “I’m not ignoring you. I’m working.”I narrowed my eyes. “Same difference.”That earned a small smirk from him. “