The bass from Clover Club was still faintly echoing in Luna's head as she pushed through the glass doors. The cold night air hit her face like a slap, sharp and grounding—but it didn't clear her thoughts like it should have.
Because her mind was still stuck on him.
Her lips still burned.
She raised a hand and wiped them hard with the back of it, like she could erase what had just happened. Like she could erase him.
Zane Genovese.
Her unwanted fiancé. Her family's enemy. Her mistake—at least that's what she kept telling herself.
"Luna! Wait!"
Kiara's voice followed her out into the night. Fast footsteps. Heels tapping against the pavement. Luna didn't stop walking. If she stopped, she'd think. And if she thought, she'd feel everything she was trying to push down.
"Luna, seriously—stop!" Kiara finally caught her wrist.
Luna pulled away immediately. "Nothing happened."
Kiara frowned. "That didn't look like nothing. You stormed out like you were ready to burn the place down."
"I might," Luna snapped, then immediately regretted how unsteady her voice sounded. "If I ever see him again."
Kiara studied her carefully. "Zane?"
Just hearing his name made something tighten in Luna's chest. Not just anger—something messier. Something she didn't want to name.
"He doesn't get to do that," Luna said, pacing now. "He doesn't get to touch me like it's decided already. Like I'm just—his."
Kiara crossed her arms. "You are engaged."
"Not by choice."
That shut the air between them for a moment.
Luna leaned against the wall behind her, dragging a hand through her hair. Her breathing was uneven, and she hated that Kiara could probably tell.
"Do you know the worst part?" she said quietly.
Kiara didn't interrupt.
"I didn't even stop him."
The words came out softer than she expected.
Kiara tilted her head. "But you left."
"After," Luna said with a bitter laugh. "After he tilted my chin up. After he looked at me like I was already part of some decision I didn't agree to. After that moment where everything just—stopped."
She hesitated.
"And then he kissed me."
Kiara's expression changed slightly. "Did he force you?"
Luna shook her head immediately. "No."
"Did you want it?"
"That's not the point."
But even as she said it, she wasn't sure anymore what the point was.
"I hate him," Luna said, more like she was trying to convince herself.
"Do you?" Kiara asked gently.
Luna shot her a sharp look. "His family and mine have been at war for years. This marriage is just a deal dressed up as peace. I'm not going to fall for him over one stupid moment."
Kiara didn't argue. She just watched her.
A car passed, headlights sweeping across the street. For a second, Luna saw it again—Zane's face right before she left. Not smug. Not amused.
Something quieter.
Something that didn't fit the story she had built about him.
She pushed off the wall. "I need to go home."
"To Adrian?" Kiara asked.
Luna hesitated at the name.
Adrian.
Her stepbrother. Her shield. The one person who would turn everything into chaos if he found out what happened tonight.
"No," Luna said finally. "He doesn't need to know."
Kiara looked unconvinced. "This is bigger than just family drama now."
"I know."
And that was exactly the problem.
The silence between them stretched as they walked slowly down the empty street. Neon lights flickered in shop windows. The world kept moving like nothing had changed—but Luna felt completely different.
"I don't even know where to start," she admitted.
"Start with why you look like you're about to cry or commit a crime," Kiara said lightly.
A faint smile crossed Luna's face—but it didn't last.
"He didn't ask," she said after a pause. "He just… did it."
"And you didn't expect that from him?"
"I expected arrogance. Control. Maybe even cruelty disguised as charm." She exhaled. "Not that."
"Not what?"
Luna hesitated.
"Not something that felt… real."
Kiara blinked. "Real?"
Luna quickly shook her head, defensive again. "Don't twist it."
"I'm not," Kiara said softly. "I'm listening."
They started walking again.
"You know what's messed up?" Luna said. "I've hated everything about him for years. And in one moment, he made it complicated."
"Because of a kiss?"
"Yes," Luna stopped walking. "Because now it won't leave my head."
Kiara studied her. "Did you want it?"
Luna's answer didn't come right away.
"I don't know," she admitted. And that honesty scared her more than anything else.
Kiara sighed. "So now you're not just angry at him."
Luna looked away.
"You're angry at yourself."
That hit too close.
A horn blared in the distance, pulling Luna back to reality. She swallowed hard.
"I can't afford this," she said. "Not now."
"Because of your family?"
"Because of everything," Luna replied. "This isn't about feelings. It's about power. Control. Ending a war." Her voice hardened again. "And I won't be the reason it falls apart."
Kiara shook her head slightly. "Feeling something doesn't make you weak."
"In my world, it does."
That ended it.
They walked in silence after that.
When Luna finally spoke again, her voice was quieter.
"I just need time."
Kiara nodded. "Then take it. But don't lie to yourself while you do."
Luna didn't answer.
Because she already knew the truth was the one thing she couldn't escape.
Something had shifted.
And no matter how much she tried to deny it…
Zane Genovese wasn't just her enemy anymore.
And that scared her more than anything else ever had.
It feels strange moment i hate him and the next my brain is killing me by his thoughts.....
His touch ....
His scent...