Chapter 304

Chapter 304
【Luna's Perspective】

I staring at the fresh grave in the distance. My face felt cold, tears streaming down my cheeks as pain tore through my heart. The rain had stopped, leaving behind a crisp, clear sky that seemed to mock my grief.

I turned to look back into the bedroom where Liam slept peacefully, unaware that his father would never return. The sight of my son rekindled a tiny flame of determination in my despair-filled heart.

I have to stay alive. I need to get my son away from this dangerous place.

I wiped my tears with trembling hands. William could return at any moment, and I couldn't let him see my weakness. I walked back into the room and gently picked up Liam, cradling him against my chest, drawing comfort from his warmth and steady breathing.

A sudden noise from downstairs made me freeze. My heart pounded painfully against my ribs. Is William back already?

Carefully, I placed Liam back on the bed and moved toward the door. I opened it just a crack, peering cautiously through the narrow opening. The house was quiet again, but I was certain I'd heard something.

Gathering my courage, I slipped out of the bedroom and crept toward the staircase. As I reached the top of the stairs, a familiar figure appeared below, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Violet?" I whispered, unable to believe my eyes.

The woman looked up, and I saw the unmistakable face of my bodyguard. An unexpected smile spread across Violet's face.

I descended the stairs slowly, emotions churning inside me—shock, excitement, and then crushing sadness. "Violet, I'm so glad you're safe, but... how could you smile? You've been captured too. We're both trapped here now."

Violet's smile didn't falter. "I walked through the front door, Luna. Completely above board."

Before I could process this statement, the front door opened again. Kevin Owen strode in, followed by several Morrison Group security personnel. I stared in disbelief.

"The whole house had only two armed guards," Kevin muttered, looking around disdainfully. "Took them down with two knife strikes. Didn't even need to waste bullets."

His eyes landed on me, and his expression softened immediately. "Mrs. Morrison, we apologize for the delay. I hope you weren't too frightened."

At the mention of "Morrison," my heart clenched painfully. I covered my mouth to stifle a sob as memories of Max flooded back. Violet stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my trembling shoulders.

"Kevin," I said, my voice breaking, "please dig Max up. I want to take him home."

I pointed toward the balcony and the grave beyond it. Kevin's expression shifted to shock.

"The boss is buried out there?" he asked incredulously.

I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face as I nodded. Kevin immediately ordered his men to investigate.

"Wait, Luna," Violet said, confusion evident in her voice. "Didn't you tell me Max was only pretending to be dead? Why would he be buried here?"

Kevin looked equally perplexed. "According to our plan, the boss was indeed faking his death. All those media reports were fabricated. He was supposed to make a public statement in a few days clearing everything up. He can't possibly be here."

Despite Kevin's confident words, my grief was overwhelming. Violet kept her arm around my shoulders as we followed Kevin outside to examine the grave. Kevin joined his men in digging, though he didn't seem overly concerned.

As the digging continued, I grew increasingly pale, leaning heavily against Violet for support.

"Luna," Violet said softly, "Max hasn't made any public appearances lately, but I promise you, he's not in this grave. Whoever this is, it's not him."

When the men finally uncovered the body, my knees nearly gave way. The corpse was rigid, its features obscured, but as Kevin wiped away some of the mud, his confidence faltered.

"Damn it," he muttered, "he really does look like the boss."

Violet tensed beside me as I buried my face in her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

With shaking hands, Kevin pulled out his phone and dialed Max's number. The ringing seemed to last forever before someone finally answered.

"Did you find Luna?" Max's voice came through the speaker, clear and strong.

Kevin's relief was palpable. "Thank God you're alright, sir. You scared me half to death."

My head snapped up, my tear-filled eyes wide with shock and hope as I stared at the phone in Kevin's hand.

"What's going on? Are Luna and the baby safe?" Max demanded, his voice tense with worry.

"They're safe, sir," Kevin assured him.

I lunged forward and grabbed the phone from Kevin's hand. "Max," I choked out, barely able to speak through my tears.

"I'm sorry, Luna," Max's voice softened immediately. "I'm so sorry for everything you've been through these past few days."

I couldn't speak, overwhelmed by relief. He's alive. That's all that matters.

"Are you and Liam alright?" Max asked gently.

"We're both fine," I managed to say, wiping my tears.

Max explained that the media reports about his death were fabricated as part of a plan, but he couldn't come to rescue me himself because he needed to remain hidden temporarily.

"No," I said suddenly, fear gripping my heart. "Don't come here. Please."

The thought of Max putting himself in danger terrified me. I couldn't bear the possibility of losing him again, even if this time had been a cruel trick.

"Kevin will keep you safe," Max assured me. "Don't worry."

I ended the call and handed the phone back to Kevin, my mind racing. "We need to take care of this and leave immediately."

Kevin nodded, still staring at the body in confusion. "This guy... he looks so much like the boss. It's uncanny."

One of the security team members spoke up. "Sir, I think this might be that social media influencer who got famous for looking like Mr. Morrison. Remember that guy?"

Violet suggested they notify the police about the body, but I had already realized what had happened.

William deliberately killed a man who resembled Max during the rainstorm. He wanted to break me completely, to destroy any hope I had left.

Without another word, I turned and hurried back to the villa. Violet followed quickly behind me.

"My son is still upstairs," I explained.

As we made our way back to retrieve Liam, Violet filled me in on the search efforts.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"Max has had teams searching everywhere for days," Violet explained. "A systematic sweep of every possible location. We got lucky today."

I urged them to leave quickly, still fearful that William might return.

"He won't be coming back," Violet assured me with a confident smile. "He's firmly in Orion and Max's control now. He won't be flying anywhere except where they send him."

Relief washed over me as I went upstairs to get my son. Cradling Liam protectively in my arms, I allowed Kevin and Violet to escort us to a waiting vehicle that would take us to Morrison Group headquarters.

---

【Orion's Perspective】

I sat upright in my hospital bed, testing my gradually returning vision. The surgery had been successful, and I could now make out shapes and colors with increasing clarity. It felt good to see again, even if everything was still slightly blurred.

William Blake stood nearby, ostensibly monitoring my recovery, though his anxious demeanor betrayed his true concerns.

"When can you arrange for me to leave?" William asked, his voice low and urgent.

"This afternoon," I replied calmly. "Everything's been arranged. A helicopter will take you directly overseas."

I watched as William shifted nervously. "I need to stop in Virginia first, to pick up someone important to me."

My lips curved into a subtle smile. "Just tell the pilot. He'll follow your instructions. Wherever you want to go, he'll take you."

William's tense expression relaxed into gratitude. "You're a man of your word, Orion. I won't forget this."

I merely smiled wider in response. Oh, you certainly won't forget this, William. That much I can guarantee.

That afternoon, I personally escorted William to the private airfield. The helicopter was fueled and ready, its rotors already spinning in preparation for takeoff. William boarded eagerly, and I stood on the tarmac, waving goodbye as the aircraft lifted into the air.

I watched until the helicopter was just a speck in the sky. Goodbye, Dr. Blake. Enjoy your new accommodations.

Half an hour later, I received confirmation that the plan had worked perfectly. William Blake had arrived at his destination—not the freedom he expected, but the federal prison where he belonged.

I could almost picture his face when he realized where he was landing. When the pilot told him they were at the federal prison's airfield. When he desperately tried to start the helicopter himself, only to find the controls locked. When he faced the prison warden welcoming him to his new home.

That's for my nephew, William. And for Luna. And for everyone else you've hurt.

I smiled to myself as I headed back to the hospital. Max would be pleased to hear that this part of our plan had gone off without a hitch. One less threat to worry about while we focused on what really mattered—keeping Luna and Liam safe.