Chapter 2: Sparks and Skeptics
Luna Harper woke to the sound of her phone buzzing like an angry hornet. She groaned, rolling over in her tiny Silver Lake apartment, where the morning sun filtered through mismatched curtains and painted her cluttered bedroom in soft gold. Crystals dangled from the ceiling, catching the light, and a half-finished star chart lay crumpled on her nightstand next to a cold mug of chamomile tea. She grabbed her phone, squinting at the screen. Twenty notifications. Instagram, mostly, and none of them friendly.
"Great," she muttered, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Samantha Caldwell's post from last night had gone viral, racking up thousands of likes and a comment section that read like a roast of Luna's entire existence. "Psychic scammer alert!" one user wrote. "Bet she's after Caldwell's money," said another. A particularly creative troll had photoshopped Luna's face onto a crystal ball with the caption: "Predicting her 15 minutes of fame are up."
Luna tossed the phone onto her bed, her lips twitching into a grin despite herself. "Haters gonna hate," she said to the empty room. She wasn't surprised—jealousy was as old as the stars—but Samantha's speed was impressive. Ethan's cousin had clearly taken Luna's press conference stunt personally, and Luna had a hunch why. The cards had hinted at a rival, someone close to Ethan, whose heart burned with ambition and envy. Samantha's Instagram shade wasn't just petty; it was a warning shot.
She swung her legs out of bed, her bare feet hitting the hardwood floor, and padded to the kitchenette. Her apartment was a bohemian fever dream: plants spilling over every surface, a tapestry of the zodiacხ
System: zodiac hanging above the stove, and a shelf stuffed with books on astrology and Wiccan rituals. As she brewed coffee, the rich aroma mixing with the lingering scent of last night's sage, Luna's mind churned. Samantha's social media attack was a problem, but it was also an opportunity. If Ethan was paying attention—and she knew he was, after that email prediction came true—he'd be curious. Curious enough to seek her out, maybe. She just needed to keep the pressure on, keep him off-balance. Leos loved a challenge, and she was about to give him one.
Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Maya Torres, her best friend and resident yoga witch, sending a screenshot of Samantha's post with a string of laughing emojis. You're trending, babe. Ready for round two? Luna smirked, typing back: Born ready. Meet me at the shop in an hour. She had a plan, and it didn't involve hiding from a few internet trolls. If Samantha wanted to play dirty, Luna would play cosmic.
Ethan Caldwell leaned back in his ergonomic chair, the Pacific Ocean glinting through his office window like a taunt. He was supposed to be reviewing a pitch deck for a new AI module, but his mind kept drifting to Luna Harper. The woman had crashed his press conference like a meteor, proposed to him in front of a room full of reporters, and then—somehow—predicted a client crisis with eerie precision. That 3:02 p.m. email from GreenWave Energy had shaken him more than he'd admit. He didn't believe in psychics or fate or any of that New Age nonsense, but he wasn't stupid. Coincidence only stretched so far.
He pulled up Luna's website again, scrolling through the Stellar Insights page. The testimonials were glowing—clients raving about her "uncanny accuracy" and "transformative readings." He snorted, but his curiosity nagged. Was she a con artist with a lucky guess, or was there something more? His Scorpio rising, which Luna had somehow known about, made him a skeptic, but also a strategist. If she had inside information on his competitors, he needed to know how.
Noah Bennett, his assistant, knocked and poked his head in, his tie slightly crooked as usual. "Boss, you see this?" He held up his phone, showing Samantha's Instagram post. "Your cousin's out here starting a war with that psychic chick. It's blowing up online."
Ethan's jaw tightened. Samantha was family, but her flair for drama was a liability. Her post had turned Luna into a meme, which was amusing, but it also meant every tech blog from Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley was buzzing about the "Caldwell Proposal Incident." His PR team was already fielding calls, and he hated the distraction. Still, he couldn't shake the image of Luna's grin, all confidence and mischief, like she'd known exactly how to get under his skin.
"Tell Sam to cool it," Ethan said, his voice clipped. "We don't need a social media circus right now."
Noah hesitated, scratching his neck. "Uh, she's not exactly listening. Says she's 'protecting the family brand.' Also, there's a rumor going around that Luna's shop is booked solid for the next month. Apparently, people love a scandal."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. Of course they did. Los Angeles thrived on drama, and Luna was playing it like a pro. He leaned forward, tapping his pen against the desk. "Find out everything you can about her. Background, clients, anything. And get me a meeting with GreenWave before TechTrend sinks their claws in."
Noah nodded, already typing on his tablet. "On it. You want me to reach out to Luna, too? You know, just to… feel her out?"
Ethan paused, his pen stilling. "Not yet," he said. "Let her come to me." He didn't believe in destiny, but he believed in leverage. And Luna Harper, whoever she was, had just made herself a player in his game.
An hour later, Luna stood behind the counter at Stellar Insights, rearranging a display of amethyst clusters while Maya lounged on a beanbag, sipping an oat milk latte. The shop was busier than usual, with a line of curious walk-ins drawn by the viral buzz. Luna had expected the attention—nothing sold readings like a good story—but the crowd was testing her patience. A teenage girl in a tie-dye crop top was currently asking if her Scorpio boyfriend was cheating, while a middle-aged man in a polo shirt wanted a full birth chart to "optimize his crypto investments." Luna smiled through it, her charm on autopilot, but her mind was on Ethan.
"Check this out," Maya said, holding up her phone. A gossip blog had posted a blurry photo of Luna leaving the press conference, captioned: Is She the Real Deal or Just After Caldwell's Billions? Maya cackled. "You're basically a reality show now."
"Good," Luna said, tossing her hair. "Let them talk. It's free advertising." She wasn't worried about the haters—she'd been called worse than "scammer" growing up with a mother who led full-moon rituals in their backyard. What mattered was Ethan. She'd seen the flicker of curiosity in his eyes yesterday, the way he'd leaned into her challenge. He was hooked, even if he didn't know it yet.
Maya sipped her latte, smirking. "So, what's the next move, Miss Destiny? You gonna crash another one of his fancy events?"
Luna grinned, flipping a tarot card from the deck on the counter. The Knight of Wands—action, boldness, a fiery pursuit. Perfect. "Nope," she said. "I'm going to make him come to me. He's a Leo. He can't resist a mystery." She'd spent the morning sketching out a plan, one that would hit Ethan where it hurt: his company. The cards had shown a storm brewing at Caldwell Innovations—a betrayal from within, a leak that could tank their next big project. Luna didn't have all the details yet, but she had enough to dangle in front of Ethan. If she could prove her worth, he'd have to take her seriously—pact or no pact.
The shop door chimed, and a woman in a sleek blazer walked in, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Luna's instincts pinged—she wasn't a regular. The woman's smile was too polished, her eyes too sharp. "Luna Harper?" she said, extending a manicured hand. "I'm Jessica Lane, LA Weekly. I'd love to chat about your… moment at Caldwell's press conference."
Luna raised an eyebrow, shaking her hand. LA Weekly was legit, but Jessica's vibe screamed "scoop-hungry." Probably sent by Samantha or someone sniffing for dirt. "Sure," Luna said, her tone breezy. "But I'm booked solid today. How about a quick reading instead?" She gestured to the tarot deck, her smile daring Jessica to bite.
Jessica hesitated, then shrugged. "Why not?" She sat at the small table, and Luna shuffled the cards, her movements fluid. As she laid out a three-card spread—past, present, future—she let her intuition guide her. The cards were a tool, but the real magic was in her gut, the way the stars whispered when she listened. "Past: The Tower," Luna said, tapping the card. "A sudden upheaval, maybe a career shift. Present: The Queen of Swords. You're sharp, focused, but guarding something. Future: The Star. Hope, clarity, but only if you're honest with yourself."
Jessica's smile faltered, her eyes flickering with surprise. Luna didn't push—she didn't need to. The cards had done their job, planting a seed of doubt. Jessica left with a promise to call for an interview, but Luna knew she'd be back, rattled and curious. People always were.
That evening, Ethan sat in his Santa Monica penthouse, a glass of bourbon in hand as he scrolled through Luna's website on his laptop. The view from his balcony—palm trees silhouetted against the sunset—was wasted on him tonight. His phone buzzed with a text from Samantha: You're welcome for the PR save. That psychic's done. Attached was a link to a new blog post, this one calling Luna a "flaky fortune-teller with a flair for theatrics." Ethan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Samantha's vendetta was getting out of hand, and it was drawing more attention to Luna, not less. His cousin didn't get it: you didn't put out a fire by throwing gasoline on it.
He opened Luna's site again, clicking on a blog post titled "The Power of the Leo Sun." The opening line made him smirk: Leos are born leaders, but their pride can blind them to the truth. Cheeky. He kept reading, drawn in despite himself. The post was sharp, blending astrology with psychology in a way that felt… plausible. Annoyingly so. He didn't believe in this stuff, but Luna's words had a way of sticking, like a song you couldn't unhear.
His phone buzzed again. Noah this time: GreenWave confirmed a meeting with TechTrend tomorrow. Also, Luna's shop is trending on Yelp. Five stars, 200 reviews overnight. Want me to book a reading? Ethan's lips twitched. Noah was fishing, but he wasn't wrong. Luna was playing a smart game, turning Samantha's attack into a spotlight. He typed back: No reading. Set up a meeting. Neutral ground. Tomorrow.
He leaned back, sipping his bourbon. Luna Harper wasn't just a curiosity—she was a wildcard. And Ethan Caldwell didn't lose to wildcards.
Back at Stellar Insights, Luna closed up shop, the last client of the day—a nervous screenwriter asking about his pilot's fate—finally gone. Maya had left for a yoga class, leaving Luna alone with her thoughts and the hum of the city outside. She lit a candle, its flame flickering over the tarot deck, and drew one final card for herself. The Two of Cups. Partnership. Connection. A spark that could become a flame.
Luna smiled, tucking the card into her pocket. Ethan would come to her—she could feel it in the air, like the pull of a new moon. The pact was real, the stakes were high, and the game was just beginning. She stepped onto Melrose Avenue, the neon sign buzzing behind her, and looked up at the stars. "Your move, Caldwell," she whispered.