Later that evening, the clouds rolled in like warning drums.
Luna sat by her window, sketching something random in her notebook a habit when her thoughts got messy. This time, she'd drawn a fire, a broken chain, and a pair of watchful eyes.
A soft knock at her door interrupted.
Ashy poked his head in. "Sis… someone left this at the gate."
He handed her a plain envelope.
No name. Just a wax seal she didn't recognize — a twisted letter C wrapped in flames.
"Where did you find this?" she asked, suddenly alert.
"A man dropped it with the gatekeeper. Said it was urgent."
Ashy looked worried. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Luna lied.
She waited until he left, then tore the seal.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
> "You're chasing a fantasy. Your father died because he crossed the line. You don't want to follow him. Stay away from Steve Collins… or history will repeat itself."
No signature. No mercy.
Luna's hand shook.
She folded the letter, heart racing. There were shadows behind Steve's money. Behind her father's death. She wasn't imagining it.
But now… she was a target.
~~~
Meanwhile, Steve sat in the back of his car, reading a file Marcus had just handed over.
It wasn't about Luna this time. It was about his father.
"Your dad," Marcus said, "wasn't just a CEO. He was working with someone behind the scenes. An informant, Someone close,Someone who tried to expose illegal activities within one of the family's subsidiaries."
Steve flipped through the documents — a list of names, coded emails, financial irregularities.
And one photograph.
A man standing beside Steve's father… Luna's dad.
Steve's eyes widened.
Marcus nodded. "Looks like your fates crossed long before you two ever met."
Steve leaned back, staring at the ceiling of the car. "She's going to hate me."
"Why?"Marcus Asked"
"Because my family buried the truth. While hers buried her father Steve replied"
~~~
That night, Luna went for a walk alone.
She needed air, Space and Answers,
She ended up near the garden at the Collins estate, under the old magnolia tree where she'd first spoken to Grandma Regina.
To her surprise, the old woman was already there, in her wheelchair, sipping tea like a queen.
"I figured you'd come," Regina said without looking.
Luna sat beside her, heart heavy. "You knew, didn't you?"
Regina turned slowly. "About your father? Yes."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I was a coward. I told myself I was protecting Steve. But really, I was protecting myself… from the guilt."
Luna's voice cracked. "He died trying to help your son."
"And we let him die without justice," Regina whispered.
Luna's eyes shimmered. "I want to know everything."
Regina looked at her, long and soft.
"Then you must be prepared for what it costs."
~~~
Back in his office, Steve stared at his father's journal,one of the only things that survived the fire. Inside, he found a line underlined three times:
> "If anything happens to me, it'll be because of the truth I refused to bury."
Steve whispered to the empty room, "I won't bury it either."
He pulled out his phone. Typed a message.
[To: Luna]
We need to talk. Tonight. No secrets this time.
Luna got the text just as she was walking back,Her fingers hovered.
Then she replied:
Okay.
~~~
And somewhere in the shadows…
A phone rang.
A voice answered.
"She took the bait. And he's falling for her."
A pause.
"Good. Let them for now. The closer they get…
…the louder the explosion."
The clock struck midnight as Luna stood outside the grand Collins mansion, the moonlight dusting her in a silver glow.
She clutched her phone tighter, reading Steve's text over and over again.
"We need to talk. No secrets this time."
No secrets.
Luna took a deep breath and walked up the stone steps. Her heart thudded in her ears. Not because she was scared of Steve but because she knew once they crossed this line, there was no going back.
Inside, Steve waited in the large sunroom, dressed in black jeans and a plain grey shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, veins popping slightly in his forearms. His expression was unreadable a mixture of determination and vulnerability he didn't show anyone else.
When he saw her, something inside him softened.
"You came," he said, voice low.
"Of course," Luna replied, shutting the door gently behind her. "You said no secrets."
Steve's jaw worked like he was chewing on a thousand things he didn't know how to say. Finally, he motioned toward the couch.
"Sit," he said.
Luna sat carefully, perching at the edge like a bird ready to take flight.
Steve ran a hand through his hair. "I found out something... about our fathers."
Luna's stomach dropped. Our fathers.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Steve leaned forward, elbows on his knees. His eyes locked onto hers.
"Your father and my father knew each other," he said. "They worked together... until my father died in that fire. But the thing is …" He paused, voice tight. "There's evidence that your dad tried to save my father. He uncovered things. Things about corruption... about money laundering in one of our family's companies."
Luna's lips parted, but no words came out.
"Someone wanted both of them silenced," Steve continued. "And they got their wish."
A cold hand squeezed Luna's heart.
"My mom..." she whispered. "She never told me."
"Maybe she was protecting you," Steve said. "Maybe she didn't know everything."
They sat there, the silence growing heavy between them.
Then Steve leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Luna, someone's trying to scare you away from me. I don't know who yet. But you're not safe."
Luna blinked, forcing herself to stay strong. "I can handle myself."
Steve smiled faintly a small, broken thing. "I know you can. But now you don't have to. You have me."
His words wrapped around her like armor.
Their gazes locked and in that moment, something shifted.
Something undeniable.
Steve reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from Luna's face. His fingers lingered on her cheek.
"You saved my grandma," he murmured. "You saved me... and you don't even know it."
Luna's heart flipped over.
"I should warn you," she whispered. "I'm dangerous."
Steve smiled, a real one this time. "Good. I like danger."
And then, without thinking, without planning, he kissed her.
It wasn't a polite kiss.
It wasn't hesitant.
It was messy and desperate and real like two storms colliding.
Luna clutched his shirt, pulling him closer.
Steve deepened the kiss, his hands tangling in her hair.
For the first time in years, Steve Collins felt alive.
For the first time in her life, Luna Charlotte felt seen.
~~~
The kiss ended, but the silence that followed was louder than fireworks.
Luna pulled back first, her breath catching in her throat. Her fingers still clutched Steve's shirt, and for a moment, neither of them moved trapped between wanting more and fearing everything.
"I..." Luna began, but her voice faltered.
Steve pressed his forehead against hers, their noses brushing. His voice was rough. "I don't want you to regret this."
"I won't," Luna whispered, her cheeks burning. "I'm just scared."
"Me too," Steve admitted. "More than you know."
They sat like that for a long time, breathing each other in, steadying themselves against the storm that was already building around them.
Finally, Steve leaned back, his eyes dark with a million unspoken promises.
"I need to show you something," he said.
He stood, offering her his hand.
Without hesitation, Luna took it.
They made their way through the mansion, past polished halls and glittering chandeliers, until they reached a door at the far end of the west wing. Steve pulled out a key from around his neck not the kind of key you carry for convenience, but one you carry because it's important.
He unlocked the door.
Inside was a small, private study.
The walls were lined with old books, faded photographs, and a few locked cabinets. In the center of the room sat a dusty desk, papers stacked haphazardly.
"This was my father's," Steve said quietly. "No one comes in here anymore. Not even the maids. I've kept it exactly the way he left it."
Luna stepped inside, feeling the weight of history pressing down on her.
Steve crossed to the desk and opened the top drawer.
Inside were files, old floppy disks, letters and a tattered notebook.
He handed it to Luna.
She flipped it open carefully.
At first, it was just pages of business notes transactions, and project ideas. But halfway through, the notes turned personal.
Dates.
Names.
Warnings.
One line was underlined so many times it had torn through the page:
> Trust no one. Especially family.
Luna looked up at Steve, heart pounding. "You think... someone in your family killed him?"
Steve's jaw tightened. "Not just him. Maybe your father too."
Luna swallowed. "But who?"
Steve looked out the window, fists clenched.
"That's what we need to find out."
Before Luna could reply, her phone buzzed.
A text.
From an unknown number.
> You were warned. Stay away from Steve Collins or your brother will pay the price.
Luna gasped, her face draining of color.
Steve was at her side instantly. "What is it?"
Luna showed him the message.
His expression turned deadly.
"No one" he said through gritted teeth, "touches my people."
And just like that, the cold-hearted billionaire everyone feared was back.
But this time, he was fighting for her.
~~~
Back in the city, a shadowy figure watched the Collins mansion through binoculars.
"Phase One is complete," the figure whispered into a phone. "Now we bleed them."
On the other end of the line, a woman's voice purred:
"Good. Make sure the girl suffers. Collins needs to know what it feels like to lose everything he loves."
The figure chuckled. "As you wish, Mirabel."