Luna's heart raced as she felt the hairpin in her hand sink into the man's flesh, the tall figure looming over her, grunted in pain, staggering back as the sharp object pierced him. His hand instinctively went to his side, and then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the floor. Luna's breath came in short, sharp gasps. Her hands were trembling, but she couldn't stop now she needed to escape.
Grace, who had been standing nearby, was frozen in shock. Her eyes wide, she shouted, "Elis!" and immediately rushed to his side. Luna didn't waste a second; this was her chance.
She turned on her heel and bolted toward the door, her shoes barely making a sound as she ran. Her pulse pounded in her ears, adrenaline surging through her veins as she darted down the hallway. Grace, who had knelt beside Elis, didn't realize Luna had fled for a moment. By the time she looked up and registered what had happened, Luna was already outside the room.
Luna's bare feet pounded against the cold floor of the house. She glanced toward a large glass window as she passed, the moonlight filtering through and illuminating the grounds below. There were bodyguards, lots of them, circling the villa, their dark silhouettes visible in the dim light. She was on the top floor getting past them would be impossible. She needed another plan, but right now, she had to keep running.
Behind her, she could hear Grace's footsteps gaining speed. Grace's voice echoed through the hallway, filled with anger and desperation. "Luna! Stop! Or I'll shoot!"
Luna didn't stop. Her eyes landed on a table in the hallway just ahead, and without thinking, she grabbed the nearest object a vase and hurled it toward Grace. It crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces, just as Luna ducked behind the table for cover.
Grace, enraged, pointed her gun in Luna's direction. The tension in the air was suffocating, the silence thick except for the sound of Grace's labored breathing. But then, something changed. Luna felt it before she saw it a shift in the atmosphere.
Grace stiffened, her eyes narrowing as she sensed someone behind her. Slowly, she turned toward the door, and there stood Elis , his figure shadowed in the dim light of the hall. He was no longer the man who had been stabbed just moments ago. His shirt was stained with blood, but somehow, impossibly, he was standing, glaring at Grace with a look that sent a chill down Luna's spine.
Luna's eyes widened in disbelief. She had seen him fall, felt the hairpin dig into his side. But now, the hairpin was nowhere to be seen, and Elis though bloodied stood tall and eerily composed.
He began walking toward her, his gaze locked on Luna. For a moment, Luna froze, unsure of what he intended. But as he approached, his steps slow and deliberate, he bent down and reached for her. Luna recoiled at first, but before she could move, Elis pulled her up, gently but firmly, his body now acting as a shield between her and Grace.
Grace, however, wasn't ready to back down. A twisted smirk appeared on her face as she watched Elis protect Luna. "Okay, Elis," she said, her voice laced with bitter amusement. "Let's finish this. It's taking too long, and the boss won't be happy."
But Elis didn't respond. He simply stared at Grace, his expression dark, unreadable. Grace's smirk faltered. She took a step forward, trying to size him up, her gun still raised. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, her voice turning sharper. "Now what? You like this girl or something?"
Elis didn't move, didn't speak. Instead, he shifted his stance, pulling Luna behind him protectively, as if to shield her from whatever was coming next. Grace's face twisted with frustration. She pointed the gun at them, her fingers tightening around the trigger.
"You're going to regret this," she hissed, eyes darting between Elis and Luna. "Both of you."
Luna's mind raced, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She tried to figure out what was happening with Elis why he was acting this way, why he seemed to be protecting her. And where was the hairpin? The very one she had stabbed him with, it had disappeared. But this wasn't the time to dwell on it there were more pressing matters at hand, like the gun pointed at them.
Grace's frustration grew, and in a fit of anger, she raised the gun, prepared to pull the trigger. But just before she could fire, the door behind her burst open with a loud bang.
The room was suddenly filled with a flurry of movement as police officers swarmed the scene, their weapons drawn and voices shouting. "Drop the weapon!" one of them commanded, his voice firm and authoritative.
Grace froze, her eyes wide with shock as she found herself surrounded. Elis, still standing between Luna and Grace, didn't move. His body remained tense, but he lowered his head slightly, looking at Grace, he seemed like he was ready to kill Grace.
Realizing her situation, Grace slowly lowered the gun, her lips curling in a sneer. "You'll regret this," she spat, her voice dripping with venom as she glared at Luna one last time. The police quickly moved in, disarming her and pulling her hands behind her back to cuff her.
Luna watched it all unfold, her body trembling with relief. The nightmare was over. She was safe at least for now. But as she glanced up at Elis, who remained unnervingly calm despite everything that had happened.
Mia rushed into the villa, her eyes wide with concern, followed closely by Landon, her colleague. As soon as she saw Luna, she ran toward her, arms outstretched. "Luna!" she cried, wrapping her arms tightly around her in a comforting hug.
Luna, visibly shaken but holding herself together, stiffened slightly at the contact but let Mia hug her. Mia pulled back just enough to look Luna in the eyes. "Why would Grace do that?" she asked softly, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Luna shook her head in response, her expression dazed and pained. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that someone she had trusted for so long, someone so close to her, would betray her like this. Grace had been her assistant, her confidante, someone who had always been there until now.
Mia frowned, clearly wanting to ask more, to get to the bottom of things, but seeing the stress and exhaustion etched across Luna's face, she hesitated. Luna wasn't ready to talk. Mia and Landon exchanged worried glances, then watched as the police led Grace outside, handcuffed and disheveled.
As Mia and Landon followed the officers outside, Luna remained inside with Elis, who stood quietly beside her, still watchful. The villa felt eerily quiet, save for the two officers who were interrogating them, asking questions about the events that had just unfolded.
Suddenly, an unsettling sound broke the silence. Grace's laughter loud, maniacal, and filled with madness echoed from the front yard. Everyone turned to look at her, confusion and alarm spreading through the crowd. Grace's eyes gleamed with an almost wild look as she stopped in her tracks and turned to show her hand, revealing something clenched tightly in her fist.
Before anyone could react, she opened her hand. The faint glint of metal sent a cold wave of realization through the air. Mia, now outside, screamed, "Luna!" But it was too late.
In an instant, the world seemed to slow down.
The explosion ripped through the villa, the deafening roar of destruction tearing apart the walls and shattering windows. The force of the blast sent everyone nearby flying to the ground. Smoke and fire consumed the elegant building in seconds, and the shockwave knocked out any remaining sounds, leaving only a ringing in the ears of those who survived.
Grace, still standing outside, screamed with wicked glee. "Die, Luna! Die!" she shrieked, her voice carried by the wind.
But her triumph was short-lived.
As the smoke and debris settled, two figures emerged from the wreckage. Elis, his clothes tattered and stained with soot, walked slowly out of the ruins. In his arms, he carried Luna, unconscious and limp, but still breathing. Her head rested against his chest, and his arms held her protectively, his body shielding her from the worst of the explosion.
Grace's twisted smile faltered, her laughter cutting off abruptly as she watched in disbelief. "No," she whispered, shaking her head as her eyes widened with shock. "No, this can't be happening!"
Elis, unfazed by her words, continued walking, his eyes never leaving Grace. His gaze was cold, devoid of any mercy. It was as if the man she had once controlled, the man she had manipulated into this deadly game, had turned into something unstoppable, something unbreakable.
Mia, still on the ground but unharmed, gasped when she saw Luna in Elis's arms. She scrambled to her feet, rushing toward them. "Luna!" she cried, panic in her voice as she tried to check if her friend was okay.
Elis gently laid Luna down on the grass, cradling her head as he knelt beside her. He looked over at Mia and spoke for the first time, his voice low but steady. "She's breathing. She'll be alright."
Mia knelt down beside them, tears filling her eyes as she placed a hand on Luna's arm. She looked up at Elis, grateful but still shaken. "Thank you... I thought we lost her."
Elis nodded, his face grim but focused. "I won't let that happen."
As the police swarmed the area, securing the scene and rushing to contain the flames still roaring from the villa, Grace was dragged away, screaming incoherently. She kicked and flailed, her eyes wide with desperation as she shouted at Elis and Luna, but her words were lost in the chaos.
The officers subdued her, placing her in the back of a police car, where her maniacal laughter turned into sobs.
Back on the ground, Luna began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she groaned softly, her head still spinning from the blast. Her vision was blurry, but the first thing she saw was Elis's face hovering over her, his features softened with relief. This was the man who was holding her at gun point, but why she felt he was Most handsome man, more than Kiad or any other men out there.
"Luna, don't move too much," he said quietly, his hand gently resting on her shoulder.
Luna blinked, her head still throbbing, but her mind began to catch up to what had happened. She remembered the explosion, Grace's laughter, and the way Elis had shielded her from the worst of it. "What… what happened?" she asked weakly.
Mia, kneeling beside her, squeezed her hand. "Grace… she tried to kill you. But you're safe now. Elis saved you."
Luna turned her head slightly to look at Elis, her expression filled with confusion and gratitude. "You… saved me?"
Elis nodded, his blue eyes intense as he stared down at her. "I wasn't going to let you die."
For a moment, Luna didn't know what to say. She felt a mix of emotions fear, relief, and something else she couldn't quite place. But for now, she was safe, and that was all that mattered.
As the paramedics arrived to check on them, Luna felt exhaustion washed over her. Whatever that had kept her going finally wore off, and she let herself drift into a peaceful, healing sleep, knowing that she had survived the unthinkable.