Luna's pulse quickened. Wrong target? Who was this man talking about? Dead?
Slowly, the man hung up the phone and finally turned around, revealing a face that Luna hadn't expected. He was not the disheveled, cruel-looking thug she had imagined, but a man with sharp, almost handsome features. His blue eyes shining under the dim light, and his mouth twisted into a mocking smile.
Luna felt a strange, Afraid , of course, gripped her tightly she was tied up and vulnerable, with no idea where she was or why she had been taken.
The man, still smiling, took a step closer, his movements slow and measured. He carried a gun loosely in his hand, as if it were just another part of him, a natural extension of his power.
"You were at the wrong place at the wrong time, sweetheart," he said, his tone almost casual, as if they were discussing something mundane. "And you took the hit for the wrong person. A real shame, really. I wasn't looking for you."
Luna's throat tightened, her mind racing to make sense of his words. "What... what do you mean?" she managed to croak, her voice hoarse from fear and the remnants of unconsciousness.
The man crouched down slightly, now at eye level with her, and he tilted his head as if studying her. His eyes flickered with a kind of curious amusement, though his voice remained cold and detached.
"Doesn't matter now, does it? You're here, and that's all that counts." He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. "You were just a mistake a little accident. But don't worry, you wont be alive to know too."
Luna recoiled at his touch, her body tensing with fear. Her mind flashed back to everything that had led her here Astoria, the café, the car ride with Grace. She'd been heading to the office, just another day at work. And now, this.
"Grace…" Luna whispered, her eyes darting toward her friend, who still lay motionless on the floor. "What did you do to her?".
Luna's stomach twisted, but she masked her fear with anger. "Who are you talking about? Who were you really after?" she demanded, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound strong.
The man chuckled, crossing his arms. "Does it matter? Not really your problem anymore, is it? You're just the one who ended up in the crossfire. But even that is a price, as there is someone who wants to kill you too" His handsome was serious as he spoke.
Luna's mind reeled. It was Astoria, she realized. They were after her grandmother's best friend. This was no accident; someone had orchestrated the crash. But why? Before she could think it through further, her survival instincts kicked in. She needed to get out of there.
Without thinking, Luna acted. Her eyes darted to the edge of a nearby table, and she rocked the chair she was tied to, edging closer. She leaned forward just enough to gather strength and, with a sudden movement, she kicked her legs out, slamming her feet into the man's chest. He stumbled backward, caught off guard, and crashed into the table behind him. The impact sent him sprawling to the floor, hitting his head on the edge of the table with a sickening thud.
Luna's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her ears. The man lay still, unconscious. She had done it he was out, at least for now.
Wasting no time, Luna twisted her wrists, trying to find something sharp to cut the ropes binding her. She saw a jagged piece of glass from the broken table and carefully began rubbing her ropes against it. The ropes frayed, but her wrists burned as she worked quickly. She could feel her pulse in her throat, each second ticking away like a bomb waiting to explode.
Finally, the ropes snapped, and Luna's hands were free. She quickly untied her ankles and rushed over to Grace, shaking her awake. "Grace, we have to go!" Luna urged, her voice strained from the adrenaline.
Grace groaned, opening her eyes slowly. She blinked up at Luna, her face pale and confused. But instead of gratitude, something darker flickered in her expression. She glanced at the unconscious man and then back at Luna with disdain. "Him. You knocked him out. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've just caused? How he will react?" Grace hissed, her voice cold.
Luna frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean? I knocked him out so we could escape!" She gestured toward the man on the floor, her confusion growing as she realized Grace wasn't acting the way she expected.
Grace stood slowly, clutching her side where the crash had bruised her. Her expression hardened. "You really don't get it, do you?" she muttered, her voice laced with contempt. "You think you're going to get out of this, Luna? You think you're the victim here?" She stood up shakily, brushing herself off. "You always play the victim. But this time, you're not walking away untouched."
Luna froze. "What are you talking about, Grace? We need to get out of here....now, before he wakes up." Luna's frown deepened. "We need to go before it's too late."
"Too late for who?" Grace snapped, her tone sharp and angry. "For you? You think you're important? You think anyone's coming for you? You were supposed to die, Bitch!." Her voice cracked with venom. "That old hag should've been in my place! But you you're always doing wrong things at the wrong time."
The truth hit Luna like a punch to the gut. She stared at Grace, her heart pounding. "You... you were part of this? You were working with him?"
Luna felt the world tilt around her. The air grew thick with tension as she struggled to understand what Grace was saying. "What do you mean? You were with me… you're my assistant. You were helping me."
Grace laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. "Helping you? Don't be ridiculous. I've been working for your family, Luna since the day you hired me. I've been keeping tabs on you, waiting for the right moment. But now? Now you're just an inconvenience."
Luna's stomach dropped. Betrayal washed over her like ice water. "You were working for them?" she whispered, disbelief choking her words. "Why?"
Grace's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she took a step closer, her voice dripping with venom. "Because, Bitch, you're nothing. Your family sees you as a nuisance, a waste of space. You're just a pawn in their game. And now, it's time for you to be removed from the board and I'm just the messenger. This was supposed to happen to someone else, but now it's you. And I don't care what happens next. and Of course I was working for them. Do you think I've enjoyed working as your PA, watching you prance around like you're something special? You're nothing, Luna. Everyone knows it your family, your father, even Kiad.",
She continued disgustingly "It was never about you. I was just waiting for the right price. They want you out of the way. Hell, "Do you know what's even funnier?" Grace said, her voice dripping with malice. "everyone knows that Kiad isn't even interested in you. He has someone else a woman who actually deserves him, not some pathetic heiress no one wants. He won't even have you as his Mistress, you are just a Filthy Wh**e who nobody wants to touch "
Luna felt the ground shift beneath her, her mind reeling from the betrayal. Grace had been her confidant, her assistant, someone she trusted. To find out she had been plotting behind her back, that she'd been part of a scheme to kill her, left her feeling hollow and stunned.
"But why?" Luna whispered, her voice trembling. "Why would you do this?" Luna's hands trembled, anger and disbelief swirling inside her. "I trusted you, Grace. You were supposed to be my assistant, my friend."
Grace's laugh was cruel, her eyes filled with disdain. "Friend? Oh, please. I was never your friend. I was waiting for the moment to get rid of you. And now, you've handed it to me on a silver platter."
Luna's jaw clenched, fury rising in her chest. "So you've been planning this all along? Betraying me, lying to me?" she asked, her voice barely holding steady.
Grace sneered again. Grace's expression hardened. "Why? Because you don't deserve what you have. Why should you get the good-looking man, the powerful family, the money, the legacy? You're just a mistake, Bitch!!. You've always been a mistake, you were meant to be thrown away, and everyone knows it."
Luna took a deep breath, standing taller, her gaze sharp. "I don't care what you think of me, Grace. You can tell me I'm worthless all you want, but I'm still standing. And I'm not going to let you or anyone else decide my fate."
Grace's smirk faltered slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Big words from someone who's been groveling her entire life. You really think you're going to win this, Luna? Your family doesn't even want you."
Luna's heart ached at the truth in those words, but she refused to let it stop her. "They might not want me," she said quietly, her voice gaining strength, "but I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing this for me."
Grace's smirk faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Bitch. You think you'll walk out of here just because you knocked him out?" she spat, gesturing to the unconscious man.
Luna took a step forward, her eyes blazing with newfound determination. "I'll do more than walk out. I'll survive. And when I do, you'll regret ever betraying me."
Luna's stomach churned. The words struck her deeply, each one a twisted reflection of her deepest insecurities. But there was no time to process the pain no time to react to the betrayal that sliced through her. Out of the corner of her eye, Luna saw movement. The man behind her was waking up, his hand clutching his head where she had struck him earlier.
Luna's eyes widened in panic. She needed to act fast, but before she could make a move, the man was on his feet, staggering toward her with a murderous look in his eyes. "You'll pay for that," he growled, his voice thick with pain. He reached out, grabbing Luna by the face, his hand covering her mouth, trying to suffocate her. Luna struggled, kicking and clawing, but his grip tightened. Her lungs burned as her vision began to blur.
In the chaos, Grace stood by, watching with cold indifference. Then, her eyes darted to the gun the man had dropped earlier. A cruel smile spread across her lips as she slowly bent down to pick it up, her eyes locking on Luna.
"Let me end this," Grace sneered, leveling the gun at Luna. "One bullet's all I need."
As grace pulled the trigger , the bullet hit the Man's arm, although it just touched his arm, The man winced in pain. Just seeing this was a golden chance, Luna's heart raced. She tried to break free from the man's grip, her vision fading in and out. Just when she thought it was over, a sudden burst of adrenaline surged through her. As the man was in pain, She reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing against something sharp the hairpin. It was her only chance.
With all the strength she could muster, Luna drove the hairpin into the man's chest, right where his heart should be. His eyes widened in shock, and blood poured from the wound, soaking her hand. He staggered back, gasping for breath, before collapsing to the floor, clutching his chest.
Grace, seeing the man fall, screamed in rage. "You stupid bitch!" she shrieked, pointing the gun at Luna once more.