Luna sat on the edge of her hospital bed, rubbing her face in sheer frustration. Her thoughts were swirling too much had happened recently, and she desperately needed to clear her mind. The pressure from the company, and now the heir race, the attack on her, and her strained relationships left her on edge. She couldn't stay in this place any longer; she needed to be discharged, to get back to her life and figure things out. Sitting in the sterile hospital room only heightened her anxiety.
She groaned softly, running her hands through her hair. She could feel the tension building in her chest as she tried to think of a way out of this mess. The knot in her stomach tightened, and she let out an exasperated sigh.
But as she lowered her hands, her breath caught in her throat. There he was Elis standing in her room again, as if he had materialized out of thin air. Luna's eyes widened, her body tensing in shock.
"Why are you here?" she blurted out, her voice louder than she intended.
Her eyes darted around the room, scanning for an explanation. Then she noticed it the window, slightly ajar. A cool breeze rustled the curtains, and Luna's gaze snapped back to Elis, who stood calmly as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
"You came through the window?" she asked, incredulous. She gestured toward the open window. "Are you serious? Will you stop surprising me like this?"
Elis, with his typical unflappable demeanor, just stood there, his intense gaze fixed on her, not a single flicker of concern or apology on his face.
"Who do you think you are?" Luna continued, the frustration in her voice rising. "You can't just barge into my room whenever you feel like it!"
Instead of addressing her anger or explaining his sudden appearance, Elis cocked his head slightly, his focus shifting to something else. His voice was calm, indifferent to her rising irritation. "Where did you find that hairpin?"
Luna froze for a moment, taken aback by the randomness of the question. "What?" she snapped, frustration flaring up again. "The hairpin? Seriously?"
Her mind briefly flashed back to the hairpin, the memory lingering in the background, but her frustration overtook her. "I'm not talking about that right now!" she barked, waving a hand dismissively.
But then, her eyes narrowed, and she stopped. Something clicked in her memory. The hairpin. She remembered it now where it came from, how important it had been once. Her gaze snapped back to Elis, sharp and suspicious.
"Wait," she said, her voice suddenly more controlled but no less tense. "Where is the hairpin? You had it last night. Where is it now?"
Elis remained silent, his expression unreadable, as if the question didn't matter to him nearly as much as it did to her.
"Elis," Luna pressed, her voice firm. "Where is the hairpin?"
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Elis responded, his voice soft, almost indifferent. "It's safe," he said simply. "I have it."
Luna's frustration grew, her suspicion rising. She wasn't sure what game Elis was playing, but she wasn't about to let him control the conversation.
"Why do you care so much about it?" she demanded. "It's just a hairpin."
Elis didn't flinch, his calm gaze meeting hers as he stood his ground.
Luna narrowed her eyes as she faced Elis, the tension in the room was easily felt. His reaction only fueled her frustration. She had enough on her plate, and now this mysterious man was adding to her problems. She didn't have time for games, not when her mind was already burdened with the heavy weight of what had happened over the past few days.
"Elis," she said firmly, "just give me the hairpin."
But Elis didn't respond. He remained still, his gaze steady on her but offering no indication that he intended to comply. His silence, along with that calm, unreadable expression, only made Luna more irritated.
She clenched her fists, her patience wearing thin. "I'm not going to ask again. Hand it over."
Again, no answer.
Her frustration bubbled over. Without thinking, she grabbed a nearby pillow from the bed and hurled it at him. Elis, with effortless grace, caught it in one hand without even breaking eye contact. His movements were smooth, almost too controlled, and that only heightened Luna's sense of being toyed with.
"Now," Luna demanded, her voice rising with anger and exasperation, "tell me where the hairpin is."
Elis, still holding the pillow, looked at her with that same infuriatingly calm expression. After a pause, he asked, "Why do you want it so badly?"
"It's mine, that's why!" Luna shot back, her frustration mounting with each second of his indifference. She crossed her arms, glaring at him as if daring him to continue this game.
Elis raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with her reasoning. "If it's yours," he said, his voice low and almost taunting, "then go find it."
Luna felt a surge of anger at his dismissive tone. Without thinking, she grabbed a book from the table beside her and threw it at him. This time, Elis's eyes darkened, his calm exterior cracking just enough to reveal a glimpse of something more dangerous beneath. He caught the book in mid-air, his movements swift and precise.
"Stop," he said, his voice suddenly sharp, a deep growl in his tone. "If you throw one more thing, I'll make sure you regret it."
The shift in his voice made Luna pause. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and for a brief moment, she remembered who she was dealing with the same man who had pointed a gun at her, held it to her forehead, and made her feel vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. She had been letting her emotions get the better of her, but now she realized how dangerous that could be with him.
She swallowed hard, reigning in her impulsiveness. "Fine," she muttered, her voice calmer but still edged with irritation. "But that hairpin... it's something I found at a place I visited a few days ago. It's important to me."
Elis hummed in response, as if her explanation mildly interested him but didn't change his stance. He tossed the book onto the bed beside her, his expression unreadable again.
"And why do you want to know so badly?" Luna asked, her tone softening but her suspicion still clear. "Why are you so interested in it?"
Elis glanced at her briefly before looking away, as though her question wasn't worth an answer. "That's not your concern," he said, his voice cold and final, leaving no room for argument.
Luna felt a pang of frustration again, but this time she kept it in check. It was clear she wasn't going to get any straight answers from him, at least not right now. But she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this hairpin than even she understood.
She stood there, silent for a moment, watching Elis carefully. He was an Mystery calm, distant, and unpredictable. But she wasn't going to let him intimidate her or keep her in the dark. One way or another, she'd get to the bottom of this.
For now, though, it seemed she would have to play along with whatever game he was playing.
Luna sighed as she leaned back against the pillows, her mind racing as she tried to formulate her next move. She couldn't stay in the hospital any longer there was too much at stake. The company needed her, and she couldn't afford to let things spiral out of control while she remained stuck in a sterile room. Her thoughts briefly wandered back to Elis and his weird behavior, but she shook her head, pushing that out of her mind. She had more pressing matters to handle.
She pressed the call button, signaling the nurse to come to her room. When the nurse arrived, Luna asked, "Can you start preparing my discharge papers? I need to leave as soon as possible."
The nurse nodded and disappeared into the hall, leaving Luna alone again, her mind already shifting gears. Her stepbrother was back. The rumors swirling around the company meant there would be trouble. She would need to tread carefully, especially since she still hadn't fully grasped what he wanted. Was he just there for the family name? Or did he want control of the company?
Mia soon arrived to help with the discharge procedure. Always chirpy and talkative, she bounced into the room with her usual energy. "Everything's set, Luna! Just a few more signatures, and we're out of here!"
Luna smiled, appreciating her friend's enthusiasm, but her thoughts were still preoccupied. She was startled out of her daze when Mia leaned in close, lowering her voice conspiratorially.
"Are you looking for that Elis guy?" Mia teased with a smirk. "You know, that handsome man who's been hanging around? If I were you, I'd have kissed him already! How could you not?"
Luna rolled her eyes dramatically, trying to hide the faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Mia, seriously?"
Mia shrugged, laughing. "I'm just saying! It's not every day you have a mysterious guy with good looks popping up out of nowhere. And then I remembered, oh right, you already have a handsome fiancé!" She winked, her voice teasing and playful.
Luna scoffed inwardly at the mention of her fiancé, Kiad. He had been absent throughout her ordeal no calls, no visits, no concern. What was the point of being engaged to someone who couldn't even bother to check in after she was attacked? Still, she had to play the part, at least for now. She shot Mia a dry look and rolled her eyes again.
"Let's not talk about that," Luna muttered. "I'm not in the mood."
Mia, sensing Luna's irritation, waved it off with a laugh. "Fine, fine! But I'm just saying... that Elis guy had a certain vibe. Keep an eye on him."
Luna sighed. "I don't even know where he went," she said, scanning the room as if Elis might suddenly materialize again. But he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had vanished the moment she asked about the hairpin. The man was a walking puzzle, and Luna didn't have the energy to deal with his mysterious disappearances.
Once the discharge papers were finalized, Luna grabbed her belongings, feeling a surge of relief to be finally getting out of the hospital. The air felt fresher as she and Mia made their way to the car, though Luna's thoughts were still heavy with everything looming over her.
As they settled into the backseat, Mia turned on the radio, humming along to the music, while Luna stared out the window, lost in thought. The landscape blurred by, but all Luna could think about was the upcoming battle at the company. Her stepbrother's return had thrown everything into uncertainty, and she wasn't sure how to navigate it.
"He's back," Luna said softly, more to herself than to Mia.
Mia, always attuned to Luna's shifts in mood, glanced over. "Who?"
"My stepbrother," Luna replied, her tone clipped. "He's back, and the rumors are already starting. Things are about to get complicated."
Mia frowned. "What do you think he wants?"
Luna shook her head, watching the city pass by as the car weaved through traffic. "Control, most likely. He never cared about the family before, so why now? He's probably after the company. If he's planning to make a move, I need to be ready. and I think I know who wants him here"
Mia leaned back in her seat, thoughtful. "Do you think he's working with someone? Or is he trying to do this alone?"
Luna hadn't thought of that. It was possible that her stepbrother was part of a larger scheme. She bit her lip, considering the implications. "I don't know yet," she admitted. "But I'll find out soon enough."
The car ride continued in relative silence, though Luna's mind was anything but quiet. The weight of responsibility bore down on her, the pressure of the company, the threat of her stepbrother, and the unknown element that Elis had introduced into her life.
Mia, sensing Luna's mood, turned down the music and looked at her friend seriously. "You've got this, Luna," she said quietly. "You've handled worse before. Just... be careful. There are a lot of moving pieces right now."
Luna nodded, appreciating Mia's words, though the pit in her stomach didn't ease. She wasn't afraid of her stepbrother. No, fear wasn't the right word. It was the uncertainty, the not knowing what he wanted or how far he'd go to get it. And with everything else happening, Luna felt like she was constantly walking a tightrope.
By the time they pulled up to Luna's apartment, the sun had already begun to set. The city lights flickered to life, and the air was crisp with the chill of evening. Luna stepped out of the car, her mind already racing with strategies for dealing with the company, with her stepbrother, and with all the unknowns in her life.
"Thanks for everything, Mia," Luna said, offering her friend a small but genuine smile.
"Anytime," Mia replied, her grin wide and warm. "And hey, maybe think about kissing the handsome mystery guy next time. It might make all this drama a little more bearable."
Luna couldn't help but chuckle at that, shaking her head. "We'll see."
As Mia drove off, Luna stood outside her apartment for a moment, taking in a deep breath. The weight of everything hadn't lifted, but at least now she was out of the hospital and back in control more or less. But she knew this was just the beginning. The real battle was yet to come.