Chapter 7 A New Life

The next morning at the airport, Liam waited at the gate with Elena.

They were flying to Valmont, where he had promised to spend the week before their wedding. It was his way of publicly announcing Elena's status, a declaration to silence the gossip and solidify her place.

Elena leaned against Liam, her voice soft and clingy. He absentmindedly patted her head, murmuring a few casual replies, but the quick rise and fall of his chest betrayed a trace of impatience.

He tugged at his tie, trying to suppress the image still lingering in his mind-Luna.

Just moments ago, he had seen her at the airport.

She stood in line with her luggage, waiting to check in. A tall man stood beside her, flashing a polite smile before taking her suitcase to handle the check-in process for her.

Something in Liam snapped. He had stormed over to confront her.

But Luna had answered calmly, saying she was going on vacation-just a few days to relax-and that the man was merely her tour guide.

Her voice was flat, stripped of emotion. Her gaze was calm on the surface, but empty underneath.

A wave of unease stirred in Liam's chest.

Even he couldn't understand why he felt so rattled.

Luna glanced at Elena. Elena instantly shrank behind Liam, putting on a pitiful expression.

"Master... the way Luna looked at me just now-it was terrifying..."

Liam instinctively wanted to say something, to stand up for Elena. But before he could speak, Luna had already turned and walked away.

His hand reached out-but froze mid-air.

He stared at her retreating figure, at how resolute her back looked.

She was angry, clearly. But more than that, she no longer seemed willing to endure his moods, no longer bound by his presence.

A hollow ache crashed into Liam's chest. Seeing the shift in his mood, Elena quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Master, focus on me, on our baby!" she whispered.

Liam blinked, coming back to himself. He stared at the empty space where Luna had disappeared, then gripped Elena by the waist, transforming that hollow into desire, he devoured her lips with a force that tried to erase the storm inside.

In his heart, Liam reassured himself, Luna would come back. She was just throwing a tantrum.

The plane ascended through the clouds, bound for Valmont.

Liam sat by the window, but his eyes saw nothing of the view. He stared at his phone instead, fingers tightening around it. The screen still showed his last conversation with Luna.

It had been a while since he messaged her. Even longer since they'd last shared anything passionate. But that didn't mean anything, right? Elena was pregnant now. He'd chosen this distance to spare Luna the pain of childbirth.

It was all for Luna. Why couldn't she see that? She was just too willful lately.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to convince himself.

The last message was from earlier today-he'd asked where she was going. She had replied with a question of her own, asking where he was taking Elena this time.

Liam had lied, "I'm taking her abroad for business. It's dangerous. You wouldn't like it."

He had followed up with, "Where are you going? Once I'm done, maybe I'll come pick you up and we'll go back to Ravenwood together."

There had been no reply. He figured she must've boarded already.

Then, without warning, his body leaned forward. A sharp pain pierced through his chest. He clenched his shirt, his brow furrowed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"No... this isn't about the flight..." He pressed a trembling hand to his heart. "It's this feeling... like I've lost someone forever."

As soon as they boarded the plane, Elena had dozed off. She was only just waking up now. "Liam, what were you saying just now?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

Liam's eyes darkened. He shook his head. "Nothing."

Once the plane landed, Elena was immediately taken in by the vibrant city before her.

She opened her arms and spun around excitedly before clinging tightly to Liam's arm. "Thank you, my dearest Master," she said sweetly. "Spending the week before our wedding together like this-it's going to be a beautiful trip!"

But Liam didn't respond as he usually would. Instead, he pulled out his phone, his fingers swiping the screen with urgency. He refreshed the chat interface-again and again-but Luna had sent nothing.

He couldn't hold back. Snapping a photo of the city skyline, he sent it to her with a simple message, "Just landed."

But the response he got wasn't what he expected-it was an error notification. Account not found.

Liam's chest tightened. He tapped again, only to realize-he couldn't see Luna's profile anymore.

His fingers clenched around the phone, as if he could crush the screen or will it to show something else. He gritted his teeth and dialed her number with trembling hands.

The line was dead. Just a cold, flat busy tone.

She'd blocked every channel he could possibly use to contact her.

A chill radiated from Liam's body. Even Elena, who had already sensed his shift in mood, dared not move closer.

Then came something worse than anger. Panic.

Liam had never seen Luna like this.

Sure, he had upset her before. But all it ever took was a bouquet, a necklace, a few sweet words-she'd always forgive him. She'd always come back.

But now... Was she really cutting him off?

Was she really... done with him?

No. Liam's expression shifted. A smile curled faintly on his lips.

She loved him too much. She was just sulking, waiting to be coaxed. He was sure of it.

He'd send her something nice, say a few heartfelt things. Her heart would soften. It always did. She'd come back.

When she saw that he meant well-that everything he did was to protect her, to spare her pain-she'd understand. She might even agree to let Elena stay.

His eyes gleamed. He would let the trip run its course. By then, Luna would miss him enough to come back on her own.

Convinced of his fantasy, Liam turned back to Elena and their trip...But he could never have imagined that at that very moment, in the heart of Solvenza, Luna was walking through the cobbled streets with Lucas Lawson.

"Miss Hayes," Lucas said, his voice light and reassuring, "now that you've stepped into your new identity, it's time to leave the past behind. Solvenza is yours to enjoy."

At his cue, Luna slowly opened her arms.

Lucas tossed a handful of grains into the air. A flurry of doves descended, pecking playfully around her.

Luna let out a soft laugh, eyes wide with surprise.

It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in so long-something warm, something alive.

The wind swirled gently around her, as if whispering, "Chase your freedom. Embrace your rebirth."

She turned to look at Lucas. And her thoughts drifted back... to last night.

She had been thrown out of the banquet into a torrential downpour.

Rain poured over her thin dress, soaking through to her skin.

And with each drop, her love for Liam faded-until nothing remained.

Shivering in the corner of the alley, she had curled up, small and broken. And then, a tall figure appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Luna."

The voice was smooth and deep. She had looked up slowly.

Later, she would learn his name-Lucas Lawson. He was the lead on her new project. He would be the one to guide her into her new life.

And she had thrown her arms around him, holding on with quiet resolve.

"Lucas," she had whispered. "Thank you... for facing this new life with me."