Chapter 3 Our Luna Is Back

Santino glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of Waylon on the balcony, cigarette burning slowly between his fingers.

Smoke curled up in lazy spirals, casting a ghostly veil over Waylon's sharp features, softening them with each exhale.

Waylon rarely smoked. Santino could only recall one other time Waylon had smoked like this-two years ago.

Santino stepped outside and joined him. "She's stable now. She just picked up a chill from being stuck in the rain and took the shock pretty hard. I've given her an injection and some medication-she'll be all right."

A brief pause allowed Santino to scan the night sky. "I checked the headlines. The Jenkins family didn't just cut her off; they humiliated her for everyone to see-right in the middle of Marilee's birthday party."

Anger edged into Santino's voice. "Hadn't they done a DNA test before taking her back from abroad? This whole thing smells like a setup."

A sudden vibration broke his focus-Alexia's phone was buzzing on the nightstand.

Waylon strode inside, intent on ending the call, but the name flashing on the screen stopped him cold. A flicker of something dark flashed across his eyes as he picked up and put on the speaker.

Shouting erupted instantly, the caller's anger unmistakable.

"Alexia, you've ignored every call and message. What exactly are you trying to pull? Faking your own disappearance won't help. Tomorrow, you're signing the divorce agreement, and that's the end of it. I've shown enough patience. Stop standing in the way of Marilee and me. You've lived off the Jenkins family long enough. If you have any dignity left, walk away for good-it's the least you can do for Marilee. Don't worry about your share-you'll get what's coming. You looked after my grandmother and my mother these past years, fine. But don't overstep. Learn when to quit. Why aren't you answering me? Where are you?"

The stillness that lingered on the line finally made Roger uneasy. His confidence wavered and his words lost their edge.

Santino internally begged for someone to step in and stop what was happening, feeling panic surge as things slipped further from control.

From the moment Roger started speaking, Santino caught the way Waylon's face darkened. His eyes went cold and every hint of warmth vanished, leaving the atmosphere icy and suffocating. Santino could barely stand, knees threatening to give way.

Waylon's expression turned sharp, his smile edged with cruelty. "So that's the way you speak to her, huh?"

Every muscle in Roger's body tensed, instincts screaming a warning. His voice grew cautious. "Who are you? Where is Alexia?"

Waylon let his gaze settle on the bed, where Alexia rested, her breathing faint but even. His response came as a gentle murmur, almost lost in the tension. "She's asleep."

He let a short silence hang before adding, "And she's right here with me."

The only thing that answered him was the explosive sound of rage through the phone. Roger's voice thundered down the line. "What did you just say? Who are you?"

Amusement glimmered in Waylon's eyes as a low chuckle slipped out. "Relax. You'll figure it out... assuming you live long enough." Without another word, he ended the call.

By morning, the rain had vanished, leaving sunlight streaming through the windows as Alexia stirred awake.

She reached for her phone, greeted by a storm of missed calls and furious messages from Roger.

Without reacting, she scrolled through the flood of texts, then let the device drop onto the sheets. Right now, a hot shower mattered more.

Steam fogged the bathroom mirror as she faced her reflection. Something had changed-her eyes, once dull, now held a spark she hadn't seen in ages.

For the first time in ages, she tried out a smile, and this one actually reached her eyes, genuine and alive.

It felt like a fever had burned away all her confusion, stripping her heart of old pain and foolish loyalty to those who never deserved it.

No more playing the fool. No more pretending everything was fine. This sad story was over.

Wrapped in a towel after the shower, she scanned her contacts and paused on a name untouched for years.

Her call barely rang once before chaos exploded on the other end. "Luna! It's about damn time! Tell me-are the rumors true? You're finally getting a divorce?"

Laughter and shouting burst from the background, her friends making no attempt to hide their eavesdropping.

Alexia replied calmly, "Yes, I'm going to sign the divorce agreement today."

Celebration roared through the phone. Whistles, cheers, the clink of glasses-her friends were clearly turning it into a full-blown party.

"Took you long enough to snap out of that trance! No more housewife blues. Our Luna is back!"

"Divorce is the best thing to happen to you! Roger never deserved you. Say the word and I'll handle him myself!"

"And don't get me started on that overrated Jenkins family. If not for you, they'd have collapsed during last year's crash. Luna, we're ready when you are-the Helix Consortium stands with you."

Their laughter and support brought a genuine grin to Alexia's lips. "In that case, I need a ride."

Without missing a beat, a man's voice broke in, buzzing with excitement. "A ride? For your grand return? Name it. I'll send the reigning racing champion to pick you up!"