Semua Bab Bound To The Kingpin: Bab 71 - Bab 79

HardinWe were back in the city less than twelve hours, and already I was planning to break into a house like some desperate thief. Except this wasn’t just any house. It was Marcello’s father's estate. And the safe we were going after might carry the answers I’ve been chasing my whole damn life.Marcello stood across from me in the dimly lit warehouse. The air smelled like oil and dust, but it was private. Secure. Trusted men surrounded us, eyes sharp, lips sealed.“You’ll go in through the back,” Marcello said, pointing at the layout spread across the table. “That’s the old entrance the staff used before he had it sealed off. I had it reopened last month. Quietly.”“And you’re sure the safe’s still in his study?” I asked, arms folded tightly over my chest.“It’s where he keeps all the real shit—documents, records, files he doesn’t want anyone to see. I’ve only seen him open it twice in my life, but I know how to get it done.”I stared at the blueprint. “You’ll be inside?”Marcello no

Luna“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”Alice’s soft voice broke through the silence as I adjusted the collar of my coat, my hand briefly brushing against the buttons while I nodded.“Yes,” I said, offering a reassuring smile. “I just want to make it to his office before he leaves. His secretary said his flight is by ten. I should be back before Hardin even wakes up.”Alice folded her arms, still watching me with concern, her hair pulled into a messy bun like she’d just rolled out of bed—and maybe she had. But her eyes held warmth as she whispered, “I’m really proud of how both of you are going out of your way to protect each other. This kind of love… it’s rare, Luna. It’s unique.”I smiled faintly, though it didn’t quite reach my chest. Truth be told, I hadn’t slept a wink last night.After Hardin poured everything out—the truth, the heartbreak, the scars—he’d drifted off, finally surrendering to the weight of alcohol and exhaustion. I stayed up, watching him sleep, the rise and fall of

LunaIt’s been two days since I sat across from Hardin and showed him the truth I uncovered—the photo, the files, the history of a man he barely remembered but could never truly forget. And even now, standing in the sunlit hospice garden with a clipboard in hand, my mind still drifts back to that moment. To the way his voice cracked when he said he didn’t want to see his father. And the way I nodded… but didn’t really accept it.Because I know Hardin.And I know when he says he doesn’t want to, he really means he doesn’t think he can handle it.I’ve been working extra shifts at the hospice lately, not because I have to, but because it gives me a sense of balance. After the whirlwind of the past few days, I need something grounding. The patients—many of whom are nearing the end of their lives—have this calm acceptance about them. It humbles me. Puts things in perspective.Miss Genevieve, who loves humming old jazz tunes even when she forgets the lyrics, held my hand earlier and told me

HardinI sat in front of him. Every part of me wanted to stand up and walk out, but I didn’t. Not because I was suddenly ready for this. Not because I wanted to bond.But because Luna—my Luna—had fought like hell to make this moment happen. And I’d be a damn fool to throw her effort away.Her words still rang in my head. “Someone would kill to have that chance with their parents. Someone like me.”It hit me harder than I expected. I’d forgotten. Or maybe I’d never let myself truly think about how Luna had lost both of hers.And yet she still believed in second chances—for me, for him.Vincent had pulled me aside also. He didn’t lecture me. He didn’t even tell me I’d done the wrong thing.He just said, “When time runs out, regret doesn’t knock. It stays.”Now here I was. In front of the man who had disappeared from my life before I could even form a memory of him. He looked older than I imagined. Paler. Weaker. But his eyes… they were mine.He cleared his throat. “I didn’t think you’d