Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Luna
The plane touched down at Washington Dulles just as dusk settled in. Rain must've come through this morning. It had stopped, but the air still held that damp chill.
I walked out of the terminal holding Laila's little hand. She wore her pink knit hat, eyes bright and darting everywhere, like a bunny let out of its cage.
"Mommy, this place is huge!" Laila's voice cut through my thoughts, injecting some energy into my tired body.
I crouched down and fixed her scarf, leaving only her bright eyes visible. She'd slept most of the flight and was wide awake now, taking everything in. She'd always been observant.
"The floor here is darker than Heathrow's," she said. "And people walk faster."
"You notice everything, don't you?" I kissed her forehead.
"I always notice." She accepted the compliment happily, then grabbed my hand. "Do you know this city, Mommy?"
I kept my voice light. "Yeah, baby. I spent time here when I was little. We'll check into the hotel first, okay?"
She nodded, then asked curiously, "Why did we come early?"
"To see Aunt Chloe." I smiled, feeling lighter.
"Yay! The chocolate Aunt Chloe sent last time was so good! I'm giving her my bunny!"
Laila got excited, already planning tomorrow's visit.
An hour later, we were settled at the hotel. I gave her a bath. The little one had been traveling all day, and once she relaxed, exhaustion hit.
"Mommy, remember to wake me up early tomorrow." Her eyes were barely open, but she still felt the need to remind me.
I promised, then tucked her into bed, gently patting her back. She nuzzled against me, then her breathing evened out. Once I was sure she was asleep, I kissed her soft cheek and closed the bedroom door.
I tidied up in the living room for a while, then confirmed tomorrow's plans with Chloe. By the time I finished everything, it was midnight.
I opened the door to see Laila curled up in a tiny ball in the middle of the bed. I leaned against the doorframe, watching her, warmth spreading through my chest mixed with something like disorientation.
Six years ago, I never imagined I'd come back here.
I walked in, climbed into bed, and held Laila close. She hugged me in her sleep, filling the empty spaces inside me.
Laila's presence always steadied me. I watched her sleeping face and drifted off.
The next day at noon, the sun was brilliant. Wind blew across the river, carrying a faint salty scent. The restaurant's terrace had a stunning view—the water sparkled under the sunlight like scattered silver.
When I walked in with Laila, Chloe was already there, holding a coffee cup but not drinking.
She looked so much more mature.
I approached her table.
The moment she saw us, she froze for two seconds, then shot up from her chair. Her eyes welled up instantly.
"Luna..." Her voice cracked as she rushed over and hugged me. Tight, like she was afraid I'd vanish again. Her shoulders shook. I could feel her holding back sobs.
I patted her back. "Hey, don't make this so sad. Say hi to our little one first."
That's when Chloe realized. She let go and crouched down, her gaze landing on Laila, lighting up. She reached out to touch her, then pulled back.
Laila blinked those big eyes and politely extended her hand. "Aunt Chloe, I'm Laila. You're way prettier than your photos!"
Chloe wiped her tears and broke into a radiant smile. She pulled Laila into a hug.
"Baby, you look just like your mom! The eyes, the nose, the mouth... and this hair, these blonde curls... God... I love you already!"
Laila wore a pink floral dress today, her hair in two braids tied with white bows—it took me forever to get them right this morning.
Laila seemed confused at first, then giggled and looked at me. "Mommy, where's my present?"
I pulled out a pink package from my bag. Laila had wrapped it herself this morning.
Laila took it and turned to Chloe. "Aunt Chloe, thank you for your presents. This is my favorite bunny. It's for you!"
Chloe covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh my God! Thank you, sweetheart. Today you can order anything you want, my treat!" She planted a big kiss on Laila.
"Even ice cream?" Laila snuck a glance at me.
"Laila—" I drew out the syllable.
"Absolutely!" Chloe lifted Laila onto a chair with a grin. "Shh, just a little. Auntie's in charge today!"
She turned and winked at me playfully. I shook my head in mock exasperation.
We ordered.
As the food arrived, we talked. Light topics at first. London weather, Laila's antics, my tour schedule.
"You've lost weight." Chloe's eyes were full of tenderness and concern.
I blinked, my tone proud. "Well, you're looking at the Royal Ballet's principal dancer."
"It must be exhausting. But I knew you could do it." She squeezed my hand.
"It's manageable." I shrugged casually. "Plus, I have Laila with me."
Laila sat beside me, happily eating the fries the server brought, occasionally glancing up at Chloe.
Chloe couldn't help but mirror her, tilting her head.
"What are you looking at, baby?"
With permission granted, Laila tilted her head. "Auntie, do you dance too?"
"No." Chloe pulled out her phone. "I paint. I organized all these exhibitions."
"Wow! Can you teach me to paint sometime? I promise I'll study hard!" She was clearly captivated by Chloe's work.
"Of course." Chloe put a sausage on her plate. "Do you like dancing, Laila?"
At that, Laila puffed out her chest. "Yes! I love dancing the most! Teacher says my turns are super stable, just like Mommy's!" She hopped off her chair and demonstrated a perfect dance move.
Chloe laughed until tears came. "Amazing! When your mom dances, she makes the whole world cheer for her. I bet you will too!"
Laila nodded proudly, climbed back to the table, and ate obediently, her mouth stuffed full.
Chloe stared at her for a moment.
"Luna." She lowered her voice. "She's too adorable. Can I steal her?"
"No."
"What if I just take her?"
"Still no, Chloe." I laughed.
Chloe sighed. "Fine. At least I'm her godmother."
I watched them, holding my coffee, taking a sip, feeling something like relief I hadn't felt in ages.
We ate quietly for a while, then she looked at me seriously.
"Tell me. Have you really been okay all these years?" Chloe's voice went careful, like she was afraid of breaking something.
I gave her a reassuring look. "Yeah. Principal dancer, constant touring, Laila's healthy." I paused, my voice dropping. "Just that when rehearsals go till midnight, no one brings me water."
Seeing Chloe freeze, I quickly added, "Kidding. Really, it's good. A million times better than six years ago."
"Oh." I pulled an invitation from my bag. "Come to my performance in a couple of days. You have to!"
Chloe relaxed, the gloom lifting as she took it excitedly. "Amazing! I'm honored to see the great dancer perform!"
"They offered us incredible terms this time. The stage is absolutely lavish." I sighed. "Otherwise I wouldn't have agreed."
Chloe paused. "So besides the performance, do you have other plans while you're here?"
"No," I said. "Just the performance. One month, then I'm gone. Next stop's Chicago."
She studied the invitation details, then tucked it in her bag. "Luna, you know what? You're literally glowing now."
"That bastard Cassian. He deserves his miserable life."
The name made the air freeze. My fingers trembled, but I casually picked up my water glass.
"What?"
I felt Chloe's gaze flicker. She chose her words carefully.
"After you left, he locked himself in his apartment drinking. Didn't even go to work." Chloe leaned forward slightly.
"Him? A workaholic skipping work?" I sounded indifferent, like discussing a stranger.
Seeing my calm, Chloe relaxed, her voice rising.
"Right? The idiot was drowning in regret but too cowardly to face himself, so he just pickled himself in booze.
If I wasn't worried about my family's company tanking, I wouldn't have bothered going over there to yell some sense into him. " Chloe huffed.
"That secretary, what was her name... Sloane! Yeah, after her true colors came out, Cassian blacklisted her across the industry. She almost went to prison. After that mess, he barely spoke to women for six years—serves him right!"
I felt a flicker of surprise. Didn't expect Cassian to destroy Sloane so thoroughly.
But if I faced that kind of provocation now, I'd probably slap back instead of running away.
At that thought, I smiled faintly, but something knocked gently against my chest. It didn't hurt—just a dull ache.
I didn't care about Cassian anymore. The past was just a thorn. It didn't bleed now, but that didn't mean the scar was gone.
"Mommy!" Laila had finished eating and suddenly jumped from her chair. "I want to play ball outside!"
"Go ahead, but stay close." I looked toward the courtyard. "Right over there, where I can see you."
Laila nodded, grabbed her pink ball from my bag, and ran off happily. The courtyard was small, bordered by low hedges, sunlight perfect. No worry about her wandering off.
Chloe watched her go. "You've raised her so well."
"Yeah. She's pretty much my everything."
"Is it hard?"
"Hard," I admitted. "But worth it."
I sipped my coffee. "You know, Chloe, I've always wanted a real home. Laila gave me that feeling for the first time."
Chloe started to say something, swallowed it, and nodded. She looked at Laila, her voice softer. "Does Laila ever... wonder about her father?"
I sighed. "Of course. She's asked a few times. I told her he's doing classified work."
Chloe looked thoughtful. "But that white lie won't last many more years."
"I know." I leaned back in my chair. "But I can't lose Laila. I'm afraid... he'd take her away. You know that would kill me."
"So you're never going to tell Cassian?" Chloe pressed her lips together, looking at me.
The question made my nerves snap tight. "No. Laila has me, that's enough. And I'm not sure he'd be a good father. I can't take that risk... Don't tell him."
Chloe sighed. "Okay. I'll do what you want. I won't say anything."
"Mommy!"
Laila's voice rang from the courtyard. I looked over—the ball had rolled near another private booth.
"I'll get it." I stood, telling Chloe, "Be right back."
I crossed the courtyard and saw the ball stop at the feet of a tall figure.
He crouched down and picked it up. Light golden curls caught the sunlight, his profile so familiar my heart stopped.
He looked up.
Cassian.
I froze in place, nailed to the ground. Six years. He was thinner, his jawline sharper, faint shadows under his eyes. But those eyes were still so deep, deep enough to pull you in, deep enough to remind me instantly of how he used to hold me with that burning gaze that could set you on fire.
He must not have been sleeping well, but what did that have to do with me?
I steadied my breathing and walked over.
He saw me. First shock, then his pupils contracted violently, like he'd been hit hard.
Laila had already run over, holding out her hand. "Thank you for getting my ball, mister!"
Cassian's gaze moved from me to Laila's face, and he looked like he'd been struck by lightning. He stayed crouched, frozen, just staring at her, emotions churning wildly in his eyes.
"Mister, your hair is like mine! Blonde and curly!"
The words landed like a bomb between the three of us. Light blonde hair. Curling waves. In the sunlight, their hair gleamed with the same luster, like they were cast from the same mold.
Laila smiled innocently, then did something I'd never seen her do—she grabbed his hand and shook it. "You're so tall! Can you pick me up?"
My head exploded. I wanted to rush over and stop her, but my legs felt like lead. My heart hammered like it would burst from my chest.
Laila wasn't usually this friendly with strangers. The father-daughter bond between them was terrifyingly strong.
Cassian clearly hadn't processed it yet. But he was already reaching out slowly, lifting Laila up, his movements gentle like he feared breaking something.
I saw his body go rigid. He held her, turning to look at me.
"Luna..." He stepped closer, his voice shaking, barely coherent. "It's you..."
I finally moved, striding over and taking Laila from his arms. No, practically snatching her.
"Baby, we need to go." I handed her to Chloe.
Cassian took two steps forward, his gaze locked on me like he was trying to pin me down. His Adam's apple bobbed like he was choking on some massive emotion.
"Luna." His voice was low, dragged from his chest. "It really is you..."
I smiled politely. "Long time no see, Mr. King. I have things to do. Excuse me."
I knew every second longer and my composure would shatter completely. I couldn't show vulnerability. I was terrified he'd figure something out. I had to protect my daughter. Laila could only be mine.
"Can we... can we just talk for a minute?" Seeing us leave, Cassian sounded incoherent.
"About what?" I met his eyes, my tone edged with mockery. "Sorry, but I don't think we're close enough for small talk."
"And you shouldn't randomly pick up other people's kids." I made my meaning clear, hoping Cassian would stop looking at Laila.
His face changed. He opened his mouth.
Then a familiar voice came from behind.
"Luna, where's Laila? I just parked."
Seb. I'd told him yesterday we'd be at this restaurant.
Seb walked over and naturally took my bag. "You okay?"
I shook my head.
He didn't push, just placed his hand on my shoulder and patted gently. The gesture held no intimacy, just a signal: I'm here.
That was Seb. Never intrusive, never overstepping, but always there when I needed him.
He was already looking toward Laila, reaching out with a smile. "Come here, baby."
Laila cheered and ran from Chloe, throwing herself into Seb's arms. "You're finally here!"
Cassian's face went white as paper. He watched Seb with his arm around me, watched Laila nestled in Seb's embrace, the light in his eyes shattering piece by piece like smashed glass.
The air was suffocating. Wind still blew, the river still flowed, but the whole world seemed frozen.
Cassian said nothing. Just looked at Seb, his fists slowly clenching, knuckles white.
I knew he misunderstood. But that was better. No need to explain.
I took Laila's hand and gave Cassian a polite nod before turning away. "We should head back."
At least today, I didn't want any contact with Cassian.