"Could you wait a minute please? I'll send the butler with the fare." Said Luna to the uber driver and got out of the car.
A chilly night breeze blew making her dress's sashes and laces float around like she was in a movie, which was not ideal seeing as how it was the middle of the night and the uber driver's gaze on her wasn't exactly innocent curiosity, she walked to the gate and though it opened for her automatically, she pressed the telecom, "Hey, Bertrum could you pay the uber driver?"
"Absolutely, Miss."
She walked in and got on the car to drive her to the door, she was successful in not letting the memories of her previous flopped, return home get to her too much.
With pursed lips she turned the handle, and as it opened she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
Don't let it get to you. She scolded herself.
She was just about to get on the first step of the stairs when Jihoon rushed down, "Where are you going?" Luna asked.
"I have some clients to meet, they are really important people, and having them on my side would be a huge score." He said as he wore his wrist watch and smoothed his suit.
"Clients Francis introduced you to?" She asked, simply.
He froze, "Is that a problem? If yes then I wont go."
Luna smiled, "No, its fine."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Luna, tell me honestly because Francis set up these meetings before everyone found about his lies but, if you dont like it then Ill cancel the meetings."
Im being silly, Jihoon is just working, and if he is sweet enough to ask for my opinion, he's sincere.
"It's okay, really. Now go! You seemed in a hurry."
He breathed out in relief and with a brotherly smile, kissed her hair and left.
She picked up her dress from the areas that were touching the floor and started walking up, she could hear her Dad and Aunt Martha talking in the kitchen, everyone else was probably asleep.
She wanted to go meet Brienne but she had to hurry up, change, and head over to the Kelsey's before it got too late. She needed to have a word with the son of that household.
☾
Mrs. Dean opened the house for her with a small smile on her lips, "Hey Mrs. Dea- "
She was cut off by a loud squeal from a tall brunette rushing over to her with her arms stretched out, "LUNAAAAAA OHMYGOD ITS BEEN SO LONGG."
Diane squeezed her in a hug and then pulled back and looked her over, "You've grown so much! And you've gotten so pretty!"
Luna laughed, "Not prettier than you."
Diane was Luna's role model, pretty like lilies and sunflowers, and soft like teddy bears, if you had a bad day, Diane's company would make you forget all about it. She got it from her father.
Diane hugged her again, kissing her hair, "My baby, you've been through so much."
When they pulled back and both just stood there smiling at each other, Luna asked, "Where's René?"
"She's still in Paris, she's touring our warehouses there. Its a thing she does so that she's always close to the company, never above it."
"And.. how is she?"
"Oh you know, aloof as always, colors running through her veins, and creativity in her nervous system."
Luna smiled, she missed her older sister so much. Especially after she found out that perhaps Francis was the reason she was always so distant.
"Are you here to see Mark?"
She nodded and after Diane told her that he was in the gaming room, she bid her farewell after another bear hug and went to him.
"Hey." He put down the ps4 controller as soon as he saw her walk in and went to hug her. She didnt return it.
"How's your face?"
"I took pain killers and the pain is almost as if it was never there, so all good. Except for the fact that my bruises make me look ill." He joked.
Instead of responding she went and sat down on one of the bean bags, "Mark.. I have something to talk to you about."
He tensed, thinking that she wanted to reject him and go back to Haemin. He kept standing and waited for her to continue.
"Did you sleep with Ella?" Her voice was hard and the effect it had on Mark was what she desired.
He sighed, "Luna.."
"You say that you love me.." she began low but her volume increased, "And then you go and sleep with Ella?!"
"That was a long time ago, I was trashed alright? Mom and Dad had been fighting ALL the time and were on the verge of divorce." He looked at her with desperate eyes, desperate for forgiveness, because he truly did love her. Luna Pièrce was his happiness, he needed her badly.
"Even if you were, Mark, of all the people in bloody Australia, it had to be the woman who fucking ruined my life?!" She stood up in anger.
He raised his finger, "No no no, don't do that Luna, Ella didnt ruin your life, that was all you. You went in for the kill yourself." Though his words struck Luna like knives, this was still his way of asking for forgiveness.
"I was saving her!"
"Sweetheart, no one asked you to! The man was twice our sizes and a very powerful person." He held her face between his hands and looked at her as if begging her to understand, "You should've turned away like me." He said softly.
Her eyes widened and she pushed his hands away from her, "You were there too?"
"Dont you remember? We were playing hide and seek, you found me first and then both of us went to find Ella."
"Why didn't you try to help her with me?" She accused him.
He threw his hands in the air, exasperatedly, " Because Luna, there's a reason why Ella didn't scream out for help, why she didn't testify. Some things are to be hidden away and never spoken of. A girl's virtue is a very delicate matter, once spoiled, it can never be retrieved again. Imagine all those elites finding out, how embarrassing it would have been for Ella's family."
"Then that man would've been thrown into jail."
He shook his head,
"Remember how Ella used to dress in those really short clothes those days? And in front of everyone she flirted with Blaise Vallotton on the day of the Archery game, when she got first place and he got second. There weren't even any security cameras there, no matter what punishment he would've gotten, it wouldn't have been for rape."
He put his hands on her shoulders again, she glared at him and he sighed, "Sweetie lo-"
"If you ever punch a guy and start a fight and end up having a gun to your head head? I will not dwell on the fact that it would be unfair for a gun to be used in a hand fight, I'll let you get shot."
She slapped his hands away from her, "And then you can decide if I should've walked away or not." She gritted.
She turned and started for the door when he spoke again,
"No, you won't walk away, you will bury me without letting my parents or the world know, because Mark Kelsey cannot be found dead in a thug fight, its disgraceful."
She gave him a disdainful glare, "Im glad I went to juvie instead of growing up with you, you've become fucking mental."
More mental that the people she met in juvie.