Chapter 36 36
FREYA POV
I wasn’t sure when I made my way to bed and fell asleep, but I’m glad I did anyway. My mind had been such a mess of dark shadows and Steve’s voice that sleep was the only escape left.
I rolled over, my hand reaching out to touch Luna
Nothing.
My eyes snapped open. I looked at her side and Luna was not there. Panic flared for a split second before I calmed my heart. I looked around the room, guessing she had woken up and left the room. It wasn’t like Luna would get lost or go missing in this fortress—Steve’s security was tighter than a drum—but it was still too early for her to be out.
I was still muttering that to myself, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, when they caught the digital clock on the nightstand.
10:54 AM.
“Wow.” I whispered, the word catching in my dry throat. I didn't believe I’d slept for that long. My body felt heavy, like I’d been drugged
I dragged myself out of bed, my legs feeling a little weak as I headed to the bathroom. I needed water.
I stood before the mirror and leaned over the sink, splashing cold water onto my face. As I straightened up, I felt a tugging sensation. The bandage on my forehead had probably loosened while I tossed and turned; it had slid down and was now glued to the side of my neck by the adhesive.
I groaned, reaching up to peel it off. It stung as the tape ripped at the fine hairs on my skin. I threw the bandage in the trash and used more water to rinse my neck, trying to get the sticky residue off.
But as the water trickled down my throat, the flash from the dream came again.
Suddenly, I wasn't seeing my own reflection. In the mirror, I saw Steve’s hand. I could almost feel the pressure of his fingers wrapping around my neck, firm and possessive, just like on that table in my head. My breath hitched, and for a second, my pulse throbbed against my skin right where his thumb had been in the nightmare.
I snapped back, gasping. I slapped my cheeks hard—once, twice—to shock my system.
“Get it together, Freya,” I hissed at the mirror.
I quickly left the bathroom, unable to look at my own reflection for another second. I stumbled over to the closet, needing to get dressed and find my daughter. I grabbed something simple—a pair of tiny, distressed denim shorts that showed off my thighs and a thin, white cropped tank top. No bra.
I pulled the clothes on, my skin still prickling with a leftover heat I couldn't shake.
I walked out of the room, my heart still doing that annoying double-thump against my ribs. The only place on my mind was to check Diana’s room— if Luna is here
But before I could even make it to her door step, my eyes caught a flash of movement through the large glass windows overlooking the courtyard. I paused, my breath hitching as I saw Luna. She was running—that cute, clumsy toddler ran—but she wasn't alone. She was chasing a man in a sharp black suit.
It was definitely one of the guards.
It seemed funny and unbelievable. These men were like cold-faced statues, shadows that moved through the house without ever cracking a smile. Yet there he was, dodging her tiny hands, letting her "catch" him before pivoting away. Luna was actually making one of these lethal killers play tag.
As I made my way toward the back exit to reach them, my eyes involuntarily drifted toward Steve’s wing of the house. Just looking at the hallway leading to his door made my skin tingle, the memory of his cool fingers on my forehead battling with the heat of the dream. But before I could think a shit, Luna’s high-pitched, melodic laughing voice snapped me out of it.
I pushed the heavy door and stepped outside into the bright morning air.
The moment the guard playing with Luna saw me, the change was instant. It was like someone had flipped a switch. He snapped back into his cold, rigid posture, his hands clasping behind his back, face returning to a mask of pure professional stone.
I stopped a few feet away, watching him. It was strange—he didn't look scared of me, but there was something written on his face, a tint of red creeping up his neck. He looked… shy. Like I’d caught the school tough guy playing with dolls.
Unaware of the shift, Luna still went to meet him, tugging on his pant leg and huffing with confusion. “Why stop? Tag! You tag!”
He didn't move, his eyes fixed somewhere over my shoulder, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Luna pouted for a second until she followed his gaze. Her face lit up like the sun.
“Mommy!” she screamed, her tiny voice echoing off the stone walls.
She abandoned her giant playmate and ran toward me as fast as her little legs could carry her, her arms wide open. I knelt down, catching her in a hug
“You’re awake!” I laughed, kissing her cheek, though over her shoulder, I couldn't help but look back at the guard—
“What’s my little flower doing outside so early this morning?” I asked, burying my face in her hair. She smelled like baby powder and sunshine
Luna pulled back, her eyes bright. “Waiting for Aunt Diana!” she chirped. She raised a small, chubby finger, pointing toward the far end of the manicured gardens. “There!”
I stood up, holding Luna’s hand as I followed her gaze. In the distance, near the edge of the stone path, I saw Diana. She wasn't alone. She was deep in conversation with a man—I couldn't really picture who it was from this distance, just a tall, shadowy figure in a suit that looked like every other guard, yet he carried himself differently. I squinted, trying to make out what was going on, but the meeting ended as quickly as I’d noticed it. The man nodded once and disappeared toward the gates.
Diana turned, her sharp eyes catching mine before she started walking toward us.
“Aunt Diana said we will be having fun today!” Luna’s voice broke the silence, her excitement bubbling over.
“Yes, baby,” Diana called out from afar, her voice surprisingly soft. For a moment, she looked less like the woman who had whispered terrifying words last night and more like a doting aunt. Watching her with Luna, I felt a flicker of motherly pride; my daughter had a way of softening even the hardest edges of this house.
When Diana stepped closer, we exchanged a brief, stiff “Good morning.” The tension from last night still hung in the air, but Diana seemed focused on the task at hand. She reached out, stretching out a colorful book she was holding—a prospectus for an elite academy.
“Luna will be resuming school,” Diana said, her tone professional. “Since she likes ballet, I thought she would like a school where her talent and education will grow together.”
I stared at the book, stunned. I was surprised they had already pulled this off. I hadn't even processed being in this house yet, and they were already mapping out my daughter’s future.
Before I could find my voice, Diana reached into her pocket and stretched out another item. My breath hitched. It was a limitless black card—the kind of elite credit card I’d only ever seen once before in the hands of a celebrity client back when I was working. It was a symbol of power that felt heavy just looking at it.
I looked at the card, then back at Diana, my heart hammering.
“Steve…” Diana said, her eyes unreadable. “He said it’s for Luna. For whatever she needs.”
The mention of his name made my stomach flip. I instinctively looked up toward the high window of Steve’s room, half-expecting to see him standing there, watching us with that predatory silence. But Diana’s voice snapped me back before I could find him.
“He’ll be back in three days.”
My chest seized.
“Back in three days?” My voice came out thinner than I meant. “Where is he?”
She studied me for a moment, Her face tightened the way people’s faces do when they’re deciding whether to lie.
“He didn’t tell you?” She said
“Where did he go, Diana?”
She exhaled through her nose, the sound sharp and reluctant.
“To… Mourn.”
“Mourn?”