Chapter 288 288

Chapter 288 288
Oscar
I managed to make it to the upper floor of the mansion without anyone stopping me. I'm about to enter my room, but instead of turning the handle, I keep walking down the hallway until I stop in front of Luna’s door.
Go in there and make her see Beni is just a kid. You’re the one who—
“Shut up,” I mutter under my breath.
I won’t let that bastard ruin everything. This time, I’ll handle it myself. I take a deep breath and push down on the handle. I’ve barely cracked the door open when I hear her voice.
“Got you, asshole,” she mutters.
I step inside and see her sitting cross-legged on the bed, typing furiously on her laptop.
“That’s right, you got me,” I say.
Luna lifts her head quickly, frowns, and looks back at the screen.
“Not a good time.”
“Yeah.” I sigh, walking slowly until I reach the foot of the bed. “Luna, I’m sorry. Everything I said last night…”
“You mean everything you think?” she cuts in without looking at me. “You just said what you believe—that I’m just some whore.” She lifts her gaze and gives me that malicious, witchy smile. “Maybe you’re right. If sleeping with whoever I want makes me that, then I guess I am. And guess what? I’m not planning to stop.”
My jaw clenches and I narrow my eyes.
“Don’t go down that road, sweetheart. If you’re trying to provoke me, don’t.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No. It’s a fact.” She raises an eyebrow. “You’re mine. If you even think about letting someone else touch you…” I inhale deeply through my nose, trying to calm the rage burning inside me just from imagining it. “I’ll cut off the dick of anyone who gets near you and make them choke on it. That is a threat.”
She closes the laptop and stands up slowly, smoothing out her shirt and tossing her blue hair over one shoulder before lifting her chin to glare at me defiantly.
“A few hours ago, I was ready to give up the life I’ve been living. But then I saw you in that car with the blonde.” I hold my breath as anger and pain flicker in her eyes. “Maybe you hate me now, but…”
“I don’t hate you,” I cut her off. “For years, I had to hear you with Zeldric—hear him through the wall. If that wasn’t enough to make me hate you, nothing will.”
Silence. Her eyes soften.
“I know I messed up. The thing with Beni got out of hand. But you don’t get to judge me.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“Good. Then let’s pretend none of this happened. Our friendship is over, you’ve moved on, and I’ll do the same.”
“Nothing happened with Raina,” I say, fists clenched.
“I don’t care, Oscar. Starting today, I’ll do whatever I want with whoever I want.”
“Over my dead body,” I hiss.
“Wanna bet?”
That mocking smile, the defiant stare, the way she stands—calm but alert… That’s not my Luna. That’s her armor, the version she shows the world: cold, careless, untouchable.
“Don’t even try it,” I murmur, locking eyes with her. “You’re not fooling anyone. You don’t like being treated like trash. I know you, Luna.” I step closer and cup her face in my hands. “Zeldric, Rai, Gambo, Beni… You know what they all have in common?” She tries to pull away, but I hold her gently but firmly. “None of them ever cared about you. And we both know what happened in that basement triggered this spiral you’ve been stuck in for years.”
“You don’t know shit,” she growls, shoving me hard in the chest.
I let her step back a little, but I don’t back off.
“Then tell me,” I say. “Why do you do it? Why Beni?”
“Oscar, get out of my room. This conversation is over.”
“No! Damn it, we’re just getting started. You and I—we’re going to settle this. I know you felt something for me these past few days. What are you so afraid of? What happened in the basement—”
“You think that was the worst?!” she yells, her voice slicing through the air. “In that place… they broke me, yes. But it wasn’t the most painful thing I’ve lived through.”
“What are you talking about?”
She exhales and gives me a sad smile