I can't
Luna stayed still for a moment longer than necessary, her eyes fixed on the city stretching beyond the glass. From the eighteenth floor, everything looked quiet, almost obedient. Roads like thin lines. Cars like moving thoughts. People reduced to distant motion.
If she stared long enough, she could almost convince herself she wasn't part of any of it.
But that illusion never lasted.
An hour.
The thought pressed against her mind again, heavier this time.
In one hour, the Genovese group would walk into her territory.
And with them—
Zane.
Her jaw tightened before she even realized it.
"Perfect," she muttered under her breath, the word carrying no humor at all.
Behind her, the office felt too still. Even the air-conditioning sounded louder now, like the building itself was waiting for something to break.
Luna finally turned away from the window.
"Cancel anything non-essential," she said as Sara reappeared at the door.
Sara hesitated. "Everything?"
Luna shot her a look—sharp, immediate.
"Did I stutter?"
"No, ma'am. I'll handle it."
Sara left quickly, and the door clicked shut again.
Luna exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders back. Control. That was what mattered. Not the past. Not last night. Not the way her thoughts kept slipping in directions she refused to follow.
She walked to her desk and opened a thin black folder already waiting there. Meeting brief. Agenda. Names. Terms. Pages neatly aligned like everything else in this building—structured, sanitized, controlled.
Her eyes landed on one line.
Genovese Group – Lead Representative: Z. Genovese
Z.
Just a single letter, like it meant nothing.
But it did.
Her fingers paused on the page for half a second longer than they should have.
Then she turned it.
"Focus," she told herself quietly.
The knock came again sooner than expected.
This time she didn't answer immediately.
Another knock. Firmer.
She closed the folder. "Come in."
Sara stepped in again, but now she looked even more uneasy. "They've arrived early."
Of course they had.
Luna grabbed her blazer from the chair, sliding it on in one smooth motion. "Where?"
"Conference floor. Main room is being finalized."
"Good." Luna picked up her phone. "Tell security to tighten access. No one goes in or out without clearance."
Sara nodded quickly. "Yes, ma'am."
Luna walked past her, heels striking the floor with precise rhythm. Each step was controlled. Measured. If she kept moving, she wouldn't have time to think.
That was the rule.
Don't think. Don't feel. Don't slip.
The elevator ride down felt longer than usual.
As the numbers dropped, she caught her reflection in the mirrored doors. Pale face. Composed expression. Eyes that gave away nothing.
Good.
That's how it had to be.
But underneath it all, something restless lingered. Not fear exactly.
Awareness.
The doors opened.
The conference floor was already alive.
Men in suits. Voices layered over one another. Security stationed at intervals. The Gambino presence filled the space like a silent command.
And then—
She felt it before she saw it.
That shift in the air. Subtle, but undeniable. Like the room had adjusted itself around a new variable.
Luna stepped forward.
And there he was.
Zane Genovese.
Standing near the far end of the room, talking to one of the executives. Calm posture. Dark suit. Hands resting loosely at his sides like he had never once been out of place in rooms like this.
But his eyes—
They moved.
And landed on her.
Everything else blurred for half a second.
The noise didn't stop, but it faded. Like her mind had decided nothing else mattered for that brief moment.
Zane didn't smile.
Neither did she.
But something passed between them anyway—something unspoken, unfinished, and far too aware of itself.
Luna forced her gaze away first.
"Miss Gambino," someone said beside her.
She turned smoothly. "Start the briefing."
Her voice didn't shake.
It never did.
But she was suddenly aware of every step Zane took as he moved closer to the table.
Aware of how the distance between them was shrinking.
Aware of last night, pressing at the edges of her thoughts like it refused to stay buried.
She took her seat at the head of the table.
Across from him.
Of course.
Because the universe apparently enjoyed irony.
The room settled.
Papers were adjusted. Laptops opened. Chairs shifted.
But neither of them spoke.
Not yet.
A senior executive began the introduction, outlining terms and expectations, but Luna only caught fragments. Her attention kept snapping back to the man across from her.
Zane sat like he belonged there more than anyone else in the room.
And that irritated her more than she wanted to admit.
Finally, the executive finished. "So we proceed with the revised partnership framework unless there are objections."
Silence.
Then—
Zane leaned back slightly.
"I have one," he said.
Every head turned.
Luna didn't move.
Of course he did.
The executive nodded cautiously. "Go ahead."
Zane's eyes didn't leave the table as he spoke, but Luna felt every word land closer than they should have.
"I'd like direct oversight on the transition phase," he said. "No intermediaries."
A pause.
"That's… unconventional," someone muttered.
"It's necessary," Zane replied simply.
Then, finally, his gaze lifted.
And met hers again.
This time, he didn't look away.
Neither did she.
The room continued talking, but it was distant now—background noise to something sharper unfolding between them.
Luna folded her hands on the table.
Controlled. Calm. Unreadable.
"You don't trust the process?" she asked evenly.
Zane's expression didn't change.
"I don't trust people who hide behind processes."
A few faint shifts around the room. Unease. Curiosity.
Luna almost smiled.
Almost.
"Then you'll struggle here," she said. "We specialize in systems."
A beat.
Zane's eyes narrowed slightly—not in anger.
In recognition.
"I noticed."
The words were simple.
But they hit differently.
Luna leaned back slightly now, mirroring him without meaning to. "Then we understand each other."
A pause stretched between them.
Thin. Dangerous. Controlled.
Not peace.
Not conflict.
Something in between that neither of them had named yet.
The executive cleared his throat. "So… are we agreed?"
Silence again.
Luna looked at Zane.
Zane looked at her.
And for a second—just one—
Everything else disappeared.
Then Luna spoke.
"Yes."
Zane followed almost immediately.
"Yes."
The room exhaled collectively, as if a tension had been resolved.
But Luna didn't feel resolved.
Not even close.
As papers were pushed forward for signatures, she kept her hand steady.
But inside, something had already shifted.
Because this wasn't just a meeting.
And it definitely wasn't just business.
It was the beginning of something neither of them was ready to name.
And worse—
They both knew it.