Chapter 301
Chapter 301
【Luna's Perspective】
I adjusted Liam in my arms while Max stepped out first, ever protective as always.
"Mr. Morrison, Mrs. Morrison, good afternoon," the butler greeted us with a formal bow as he opened the door.
Inside, the sound of a treadmill hummed from the direction of the home gym. Following the noise, we found Orion running at a steady pace, his unseeing eyes focused straight ahead. Despite his blindness, his movements were confident and practiced.
"Orion," I called out softly.
Orion immediately reached for the controls, slowing the machine to a stop. "Luna?" he asked, his head turning in the direction of my voice.
I smiled, though he couldn't see it. "Yes, it's me."
As Orion stepped off the treadmill and began moving toward my voice, Max quickly positioned himself between us, offering his own hand instead. "And Max," he added firmly.
Orion's fingers found Max's hand and a knowing smile crossed his face. "Max is here too?" He chuckled, shaking his brother's hand. "Always the same, little brother. Still treating me like a potential enemy. Won't even let me touch your wife's hand."
I suppressed a smile, watching the interaction with amusement.
Max looked slightly embarrassed. "I don't consider you an enemy, Orion."
"You always have," Orion insisted with a certainty that suggested years of similar interactions. "Let's sit down, shall we?"
---
In the living area, the three of us settled onto plush sofas. Liam dozed peacefully in my arms as Orion continued his good-natured teasing.
"How have you been feeling lately?" Max asked, attempting to change the subject.
Orion smirked. "Don't try to change the subject." He turned his face toward where he sensed I was sitting. "Did you know, Luna, that Max has always been jealous because you liked me better when we were children?"
"That's not true," Max protested, his jaw tightening slightly. "Orion, have you had lunch yet?"
Orion laughed and turned toward me. "Is he turning red? He always turns red when I mention this."
I couldn't help but giggle. "Mmhmm."
Max's expression darkened. He decided to strike back. "Luna, did you receive Zoe's wedding invitation?"
The effect was immediate. Orion's face froze, his playful demeanor vanishing instantly. His hands tensed on his knees, and I could see the pain flash across his features.
"No," I answered quickly, shooting Max a reproachful look. "Where did you hear that?"
Max laughed, suddenly cheerful again. "Oh, I must have heard wrong. Never mind."
Orion visibly relaxed, though a shadow remained in his expression. "She'll get married eventually," he said with forced lightness. "It's inevitable."
I reached out and briefly touched Orion's hand, a gesture of comfort that Max pretended not to notice.
That evening, after returning to the Blake family mansion with Liam, I found Violet had already packed our luggage for tomorrow's trip to the Langley base.
"Everything's ready, Mrs. Morrison," Violet reported efficiently. "We'll be set to leave first thing tomorrow."
Later that night, after making love, I fell into a deep sleep beside Max. But when I briefly woke in the middle of the night, I noticed he was still awake, watching me with an intensity that was almost unsettling. Something was bothering him, I could tell, but sleep claimed me again before I could ask.
---
Max personally escorted Liam and me to the waiting jet. Violet efficiently loaded our luggage while security personnel maintained a watchful perimeter.
"I'll be joining you very soon," Max promised, holding me tightly in his arms.
"I'll be waiting," I whispered against his chest, fighting back tears. I didn't understand my own emotional response – this wasn't our first separation – but something felt different this time. A heaviness in my chest that I couldn't explain.
Max kissed my forehead tenderly. "I'll be there before you know it."
I forced a smile as I boarded the plane with Liam, turning back once more to wave at Max. As the jet took off, I watched him standing on the tarmac until he became too small to see.
Several hours later, our private jet touched down at the Langley compound's airstrip. I gathered Liam, who had slept most of the flight, while Violet collected our carry-on bags.
As we descended the steps, I noticed a man waiting beside a black SUV. He wasn't one of the usual security personnel I recognized.
"Mrs. Morrison," he called with a professional smile. "I'm Cyrus Brown. Mr. Morrison sent me to escort you."
I hesitated, but seeing the Morrison Group ID badge on his lapel, I nodded and approached the vehicle with Violet following closely behind.
Once inside the SUV with Liam secured in his car seat, Cyrus began driving toward the compound. "We're very excited to have you at the facility, Mrs. Morrison," he said conversationally. "Especially given your expertise with Light Matter."
I froze. My security clearance information was highly classified. Only a handful of people knew my true identity as the developer of Light Matter.
"Violet," I whispered urgently. "He's compromised."
Without hesitation, Violet's hand moved to her concealed weapon, but before she could draw it, Cyrus slammed on the brakes, sending the SUV skidding to a halt on the shoulder of the highway.
---
"Don't move!" shouted a voice as the doors were yanked open. I found myself staring down the barrel of an assault rifle. Several armed men in tactical gear surrounded the vehicle, weapons trained on us.
Violet had managed to draw her weapon but now raised her hands slowly as multiple rifles pointed at her head.
"You've been very clever, Mrs. Morrison," Cyrus said, his voice now cold and mocking. "Or should I say, Luna Blake? The famous Mist?"
I clutched Liam protectively as he began to whimper, frightened by the sudden commotion. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest.
"You won't get away with this," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Max will—"
"Max will what?" Cyrus laughed. "By the time he discovers what happened, you'll be long gone." He turned to his men. "Kill the bodyguard. Take Luna and the child."
"No!" I cried, positioning myself in front of Violet. "Violet, run!"
In that split second of confusion, Violet seized the opportunity. She dove sideways out of the SUV, rolling down the embankment beyond the guardrail. Gunfire erupted as the men opened fire into the underbrush below, but I couldn't tell if they had hit their target.
I collapsed back into the seat, holding my crying son tightly, tears streaming down my face as I prayed Violet had escaped.
I spent that night in a sparse safehouse, trying to comfort Liam who was fussy and confused by the strange surroundings. Someone had provided formula, diapers, and a few toys, but little else. I sang to him softly, the same lullabies my mother had once sung to me, trying to keep my own fear from seeping into my voice.
The next morning, I was blindfolded and transferred to another vehicle. After approximately an hour's drive, we arrived at what I could tell was a white European-style villa somewhere still in Virginia. The gardens were filled with tulips, and armed guards patrolled the perimeter.
For over a week, I remained there with Liam, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for my son while silently planning and observing. I was certain Max was searching for us, and I held onto the hope that Violet had survived.
I suspected William was behind the kidnapping, likely using Liam and me as leverage against Max during the critical pre-election period. The thought made me sick with worry, not for myself, but for what Max might do in response. I knew my husband well enough to know that he would stop at nothing to find us.
---
One day during lunch, I heard the guards at the entrance address someone as "boss." I stood quickly, heart racing as footsteps approached.
A man in an impeccable suit walked in, his face familiar yet changed by the cold calculation in his eyes.
"Luna," Noah said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Max has gone mad. Truly mad."
I clutched Liam tighter. "What do you mean?"
Noah's expression flickered with irritation. "Your husband is a lunatic. He's tearing the country apart."
"Why did you take us?" I demanded, though I already knew the answer.
Noah looked surprised. "Aren't you going to ask why I revealed myself? Why I risked everything before the election?"
I laughed bitterly. "Your identity as William was exposed weeks ago. Did you think we didn't know?"
William's jaw tightened. "Come with me, Luna. Leave Max. I'll treat Liam as my own son."
"What have you done to my husband?" I demanded, my voice shaking with fury.
"Him?" William's face darkened. "He's gone insane. Killing everyone in his path."
William ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "For you, I've risked everything again. I should have waited until after the election, but I couldn't."
"You're a monster," I spat. "You've murdered innocent people, betrayed your country, all for what? Power?"
"I did it all for you!" William shouted, his composure cracking. "When I was just William, did you ever look at me? Did you ever choose me over men like Max?"
His eyes filled with tears. "So I'll keep you here. It's the only way I'll ever have a chance at winning your heart."
I backed away, clutching Liam protectively. Without another word, I turned and ran up the stairs, locking myself in the bedroom. My hands were shaking as I set Liam down on the bed and checked the windows – all barred. I was trapped.
Days passed with no further visits from William. I learned from snippets of conversation among the guards that Max had indeed gone on a rampage. He'd executed Cyrus Brown, purged the Morrison Group of suspected infiltrators, attacked a Russian island housing Shadow operatives, and frozen all of Noah's assets. He'd set up checkpoints across Virginia and was conducting a systematic search that was gradually closing in on our location.
Part of me was terrified of what Max had become in his quest to find us, but another part – a darker part I rarely acknowledged – was grimly satisfied. William had awakened a monster, and now he would face the consequences.