Semua Bab Abandoned Luna: Now Untouchable: Bab 211 - Bab 220

Cecilia's povIn a room full of masks and teeth, swinging blindly would only get me devoured faster.Across the room, I caught sight of Luna Dora and The Real VIP.Dora looked like she was bracing for a bomb to go off--probably worried I'd say something that would unravel the Blood Moon Pack further.Regina, though... her concern felt real. Genuine. The kind you reserve for someone who threw themselves into the fire--for you.I stood there calmly, prepared to play this twisted game.I offered Mrs. Locke a smile that barely touched my eyes."Madame Tarot ," I said with forced lightness, "please be gentle with my secrets."Mrs. Locke circled me slowly, her movements deliberate, predatory in the way a lioness sizes up its next kill."A man-killer with a beautiful face," she declared, her voice loud enough to carry. "Skilled in deception and manipulating hearts. You just deceived an innocent woman moments ago. I know your true purpose."Across the room, The Real VIP's expression shifted--a

Cecilia's povAfter walking for a while, we could hear footsteps again--faint, but coming from both directions.My heart kicked into overdrive.I glanced at the rooms lining the corridor, spaced every few yards.A desperate plan snapped into place.We were out of time. We had nothing to lose.As the women ahead passed one of the doors, I grabbed the handle.To my surprise, it turned. Without hesitation, I pulled Harper inside.Yvonne and Luna Dora followed immediately.The Real VIP hesitated in the hallway, frozen.I looked at her--but didn't wait.I moved to shut the door.If she couldn't decide whether to trust me by now, that wasn't my problem."Wait--!" she cried.At the last second, she lunged forward and stumbled through the doorway.I slammed the door behind her and locked it.Harper and Yvonne didn't need instructions--they dragged a velvet sofa across the floor and wedged it up against the door.Outside, voices erupted."What happened?""Are you in there?""Open up!"The Real

Author's povAt the mansion's rear entrance, Mrs. Dahlia was personally escorting Maggie Locke --and her silent assistant--to their waiting car."I'm so sorry the plan didn't work," Dahlia whispered, wringing her gloved hands like she was scrubbing guilt from her skin. "I failed you completely."Maggie waved a gloved hand with cool detachment."There will be other opportunities," she said, as if canceling a lunch reservation."But I've offended the Black family," Dahlia moaned. "My standing in Denver's social circuit is finished. The local grapevine will devour me by morning. What am I supposed to do now?""I've arranged a place for you to lie low," Maggie replied, voice smooth as satin--and just as cold.It was the kind of tone that could soothe or slice, depending on how you touched it."As for Luna Regina," she continued, "she remains my target. I have a thousand ways to reach her. Tonight's failure only sharpens the next attempt. Don't confuse a delay with defeat."Dahlia nodded, t

Cecilia's povI stood from the sofa."You'd better get going," I said, voice even. "Time waits for no one--especially not your pilot."Sebastian's eyes flashed with something murky--a blend of frustration, regret, and the kind of silent math people do when trying to calculate how much damage they've done."Yes, Ms. Secretary," he said, aiming for humor and landing somewhere near desperation.He gave me a shallow smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, then turned and walked toward his room, shoulders tight beneath his perfect shirt.The second he disappeared down the hall, I returned my attention to Muffin, dangling a feather toy just out of her reach.She batted at it with single-minded determination--loyal, predictable, and offering a softness people so often withheld..Sawyer seized his moment, reaching over to scratch Muffin behind the ears."Listen, Cecilia... the Alpha really didn't mean to abandon you last night," he said, lowering his voice like this was some kind of spy movie.

Cecilia's povMy lashes fluttered, instinctively. I forced them still.Every muscle in my body locked into place.Even my breath stalled--held hostage by the collision of shock and something dangerously close to heartbreak.Only when his footsteps retreated did I finally exhale.Well, well.So Mr. Alpha has time to sneak a kiss between conference calls and caffeine refills. How...efficient of him.Clearly, the man had feelings.But "feelings" are like condiments--plentiful, varied, and mostly optional.And "like"? That's the watery ketchup of emotions. Barely counts.Not that it mattered.I only "liked" him too.I curled back into sleep wrapped in that beautifully convenient lie.Next time I woke, we'd already landed.Rain tapped against the windows in steady rhythm, the kind of gray drizzle that made London feel like the kind of gray drizzle that made London feel like a prolonged sigh.As I stood at the open cabin door, a gust of damp air slapped me awake.Cold needles threaded throug