Chapter 82: Chapter 82

Chapter 82 +5Bonus >

Menu Luna clung tightly to my neck, trembling with fear. Holding her securely, I crossed the road and headed back to my car.

My driver looked utterly stunned by my actions. I slid into the car, still cradling Luna in my arms. She was so small–I could easily hold her with just one arm.

She didn’t move, only buried her face against my shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

I gently patted her back, unsure of what had happened to her or why she had been in the middle of the road alone.

“Alpha, who is this child?” my driver asked hesitantly.

“Shut the hell up. Can’t you see she’s crying?” I snapped, shooting him a glare.

His eyes widened, and he quickly averted his gaze, keeping silent. He hadn’t started driving yet since I hadn’t given the order.

After a while, Luna finally lifted her head from my shoulder and looked up at me. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her little nose was red.

I carefully placed her on the seat next to me and asked, “Where’s your mom?”

She sniffled and stammered, “I–I lost Mommy.”

“What? How?”

Her eyes welled up with tears again. I sighed and motioned for my driver to start the car as Luna began explaining what had happened to her earlier.

Flashback That afternoon, Luna and her twin brother, Leo, went to the park near their school with their mother. They spent hours playing together, and Luna had been so happy.

At one point, Selene told them to sit on a bench while she went to buy them ice cream from a nearby shop.

After a few minutes, Leo tugged on Luna’s hand, saying he wanted to go play on the swings.

As she was about to follow him, Luna suddenly noticed a small kitten wandering near the park’s exit. The moment she reached out to pet it, the kitten darted away. Without thinking, she chased after it.

By the time she finally stopped, she realized she had gone too far–she had completely lost sight of the park.

Panic set in. She didn’t know the area well and had no idea how to find her way back.

Desperate, she started searching for her mother. She thought she spotted someone who looked like her, but when she ran up to the woman, she realized it wasn’t her mom.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She was lost–alone in an unfamiliar place, with no clue where to go.

Then Kane appeared. The moment she saw him, something about him made her feel safe, as though he was someone she could trust. Overwhelmed with fear, she instinctively hugged him, afraid that if she let go, she might never find her way back.

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Menu “If you ever get lost again, the first thing you should do is find someone and ask to borrow their phone so you can call your mom, okay?” I told her firmly.

I didn’t like seeing her cry. She was just a little kid–how had Selene been so careless?

“Uncle, can I use your phone?”

I chuckled softly, realizing she was already applying my advice.

“To call your mom?”

She nodded, wiping the lingering tears from her cheeks.

She seemed more relaxed now, as if she completely trusted me. It was strange–just minutes ago, she had been sobbing, and now she was calm because of me.

Why did she trust me so easily? I was a stranger to her, wasn’t I? She shouldn’t trust just anyone.

I wanted to warn her about that, but looking at her pale little face, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

She could trust me. I wasn’t a bad person, was I?

“You don’t need to call her. I’ll let your mom know you’re with me. Don’t worry,” I told her, pulling out my phone and dialing Finn’s number.

*****

“Are you not coming back?” Finn asked as soon as he answered.

“I’ve got Selene’s daughter with me.”

“You what?”

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

“What the hell are you doing with her kid? Don’t tell me you’re trying to get back at Selene for what her family said.”

My jaw clenched. Did he seriously think I’d use a child for revenge?

“Just tell her Luna is with me.”

“Oh... okay,” Finn said, finally grasping the situation. “Where are you? I’ll let Selene know she can come pick her up.”

Something clicked in my mind, and I smirked as I glanced out the window. “That’s for her to figure out.”

I ended the call and turned to Luna. “Your mom will know you’re with me soon.”

Hearing that, she smiled. “Then she won’t be worried anymore.”

I was stunned by how mature she sounded. She wasn’t thinking about herself–she was worried about her mother instead.

I told my driver to stop near an ice cream parlor. Before she got lost, Luna had wanted ice cream, and I figured I could at least make that happen.

Just as I was about to order my driver to grab some for her, I noticed Luna’s face suddenly fall.

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She was staring out the window at a little girl holding a man’s hand–it looked like a father had brought his daughter here for a treat.

“Do you want to go inside?” I asked gently.

She quickly turned her head away from the window, lowering it as she shook her head. Her reaction left me feeling strangely awkward.

“Tell your dad to bring you here next time,” I said, shifting my gaze away, I didn’t like talking about Axel, but seeing this child’s sad expression made me say it anyway.

She lifted her head, hesitating before asking, “M–My dad?”

“What? Doesn’t your dad ever take you and your brother out?”

“I... I don’t have a dad.”

I frowned. Did she not know about her real father? But I had heard that Axel had even attended her school’s parent meetings.

”

“...Isn’t Axel your dad?”