~Joan~
I just stood there, frozen, staring at the woman who was supposed to be my mother. She blinked at me, her smile faltering slightly, like she wasn’t sure how to hold it in place.
I shook my head quickly, forcing a small, polite smile.
“I’m Joan. Alessia’s colleague,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. She nodded and walked toward her daughter, leaving me standing there, feeling like a shadow.
I watched blankly as the two of them spoke in Spanish, their voices a soft hum I couldn’t follow. Brielle chimed in occasionally.
Luna De Luca. The name echoed in my head, over and over.
Goddamn it… fuck.
My fingers trembled slightly as I grabbed my phone, typing furiously, the screen blurring for a moment before I blinked the haze away. That’s when Shayne’s text popped up.
Shayne: I have good news. We’re releasing your book tonight, and the clients want you to work on book two. They totally loved it.
My heart gave a little jolt, but I barely let the feeling register. I ignored the text and sent one to Aaron instead.
Where do we meet?
I swallowed hard, my throat dry, and looked up at Alessia and her mother again. Alessia probably wouldn’t admit it, but I could see it-she was happy to see her mother, or better yet… our mother.
It felt surreal. Alessia was my half-sister. I had a sister. Maybe even brothers somewhere out there. The thought was too big to hold all at once-like trying to breathe underwater.
Aaron’s reply came fast.
Unknown: I’ll send you an address. Everything okay?
I didn’t respond. What would I even say? Right now, all I needed were answers-and unfortunately, Aaron was the only person who could give me that.
—
The restaurant Aaron texted me wasn’t crowded. The quiet conversations and clinking glasses filled the space, but it all felt distant.
The lights cast warm shadows, cozy for anyone but me. My heart thudded loudly in my chest as I spotted him.
He sat facing the entrance, like he’d been waiting for me to show up. The moment his eyes met mine, he stood slowly, his expression unreadable. My chest tightened.
God, I’d missed him. I didn’t even realize how much until now. Just seeing his face again felt like a punch to the gut.
He gave me a small nod, his dark eyes softening as I approached. I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down, trying to ignore the ache that bloomed in my chest.
“Hey,” he muttered quietly after sitting. His voice was softer than I remembered.
“Hi,” I replied, my fingers fiddling with the edge of the napkin. “Uh, sorry for calling you out like this.”
He shook his head, his gaze never leaving my face-as if he was searching for something he’d lost.
“It’s fine,” he said softly, rolling up his sleeves. My eyes drifted to his forearms without permission-veined, strong arms that had once held me, made me feel like the world was small enough to handle.
Silence settled between us, thick and heavy.
“Are you okay?” he asked after a beat, his voice gentle, almost tentative.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “What was it you wanted to tell me about?” I blurted, cutting straight to it. I couldn’t dance around it anymore.
He tensed for a second, his jaw tightening, but then he exhaled slowly, leaning back into his seat.
“Do you want to eat something first?” he asked, his eyes flickering with something like hesitation.
“Aaron.” My tone was curt.
He ran a hand through his hair-a clear sign he was stressed. It was his tell, one I knew too well.
“It’s about my father and… yours. Ace Knight,” he said and I perked up.
My father and yours… they used to be friends,” he started, his voice low. I leaned forward slightly, my eyes locking with his, bracing myself for whatever came next. Pain flickered in his gaze before he forced it away.
“They built a company together. But things got complicated. Your dad… he got your mom pregnant-with you,” he continued, and my breath hitched.
“What’s her name?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
He hesitated, glancing down at the table like the answer was carved into the wood. “Luna. Matthew told me her name was Luna.”
A cold chill crept over me, sharp and biting, sinking into my bones. Goosebumps prickled along my arms.
I swallowed the lump rising in my throat, unable to form words.
“Your dad wanted his shares of the company so he could take care of you and Luna,” Aaron continued, his voice quieter now, like he was afraid to break me. “But my dad refused. Things got ugly. Your dad… he tampered with my parents’ car. That’s what caused the accident. That’s how they died.”
He sucked in a shaky breath. My eyes widened slightly, the words hitting harder than I expected. The car accident that killed Aaron’s parents was caused by my father?
“After that, your mom left. She dropped you in front of an orphanage and went back to Spain, because your dad was arrested for murder.”
His words felt like glass, sharp edges scraping against old wounds I didn’t even know I had.
“I was a mess when I found out,” he admitted, his voice rough. “I broke things off with you because I thought it’d be easier. I thought it’d protect both of us from more pain.”
My chest burned, an ache pressing behind my eyes.
“And that was the most stupid decision I’ve ever made,” he added, rubbing his face with both hands like he could wipe the guilt away.
“I have no parents,” I muttered, my voice hollow.
Aaron nodded, his own eyes glassy. “I realized it wasn’t your fault. But it took me a month to understand that. You grew up without anyone, and somehow, I blamed you for something you had no control over.”
A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it.
“That’s…” I trailed off, not sure what to say. Aaron reached across the table, his fingers brushing over mine gently.
“I’ve regretted that decision every single day,” he whispered.
“Luna… I got a text back then in Paris. Luna De Luca. That’s my mother’s name,” I said, my voice trembling. I drew in a shaky breath. “She showed up at the office today. Because Alessia… she’s her daughter.”
Aaron’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“All this time, I had family somewhere. A mother who’s been alive, living her life without a second thought about me,” I said bitterly, my voice thick with anger. “Alessia is my half-sister. We share the same mother.”
Aaron squeezed my hand, reassuringly. Even though, I kept falling into a dark abyss.
By the time Aaron dropped me off, the pressure in my chest had lessened, but the bitterness was still there, clinging like it had roots.
Knowing I was left behind because life got hard-it was a feeling I couldn’t shake. I’d carried this deep seated hate and anger for so long, and now it had a face.
“It’ll be fine,” Aaron muttered softly as we sat in his car, parked outside my apartment. He nudged me gently, pulling me out of my thoughts. I blinked, forcing a small smile.
“Thanks for meeting with me,” I whispered, unbuckling my seatbelt. But when I reached for the door, his hand closed around my wrist, stopping me.
I froze, staring at his hand wrapped around mine, then slowly lifted my eyes to his face. His expression was tight, filled with something like hope.
He let go quickly, like he’d realized he was crossing a line.
“Would you… would you give me another chance?” he asked softly. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. “I’m not asking you to forgive me right now. Just-let me try to make it right. Let me work for it.”
I studied him for a moment, my thoughts were a mess. I gave a small shrug, trying to play it cool even though my chest felt anything but.
“We’ll see,” I replied casually, stepping out of the car. But as I walked to my door, I could feel his eyes on me, burning into my back.
I unlocked the door, pausing for just a second to glance back. I couldn’t see his face clearly in the dark, but I could feel him watching. I slipped inside, locking the door behind me.
I stood there for a while, leaning against the door, letting the silence settle around me. Eventually, I made my way to my bedroom, tossing my bag onto the bed. I reached for the light switch and flicked it on.
That’s when I saw it.
My room was a mess-drawers pulled out, clothes scattered, everything overturned.
I barely had time to process what I was seeing before something hard slammed against my head. The world spun, and everything went black.