Chapter 7: Shadows in the Dark

The weight of Adrian's words clung to Luna like a second skin. Even as she sat behind her desk at the Aldridge Foundation, attempting to focus on the documents in front of her, her thoughts kept drifting back to his cryptic warning.

Some ghosts don't like being forgotten.

What did he mean? What deal was he talking about? Was it some vague attempt to shake her resolve, or was there truth hidden in his ominous words? Luna hated being kept in the dark, and Adrian had always been a master of sowing doubt and chaos.

She exhaled sharply and rubbed her temples. The polished mahogany desk in front of her held stacks of reports, funding requests, and partnership agreements, yet none of them held her interest now. Her mind remained shackled to the past Adrian had dredged up—one she hadn't even realized was lurking beneath the surface of her carefully structured life.

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her spiraling thoughts. Olivia, her assistant, peered inside, looking hesitant. "Miss Aldridge, Mr. Blackwell is here to see you."

Luna inhaled slowly, gathering herself before nodding. "Let him in."

Killian strode in, his presence commanding as always. He was still dressed in his tailored suit from the morning, crisp and immaculate, but there was a tension in his posture, something unreadable in his gaze.

"You didn't tell me you were meeting with Adrian," he said, his voice even, but laced with something sharp beneath the surface.

Luna leaned back in her chair, arms crossing. "I didn't exactly invite him."

Killian's jaw tensed. "What did he say?"

She studied him for a moment. "Why do I get the feeling you already know?"

He remained silent, which was answer enough.

Luna sighed, shaking her head. "He said the past doesn't stay buried forever. That some deals have expiration dates."

Killian's eyes darkened, his fingers curling into a fist at his side. "Damn it."

Her patience frayed. "You know what he's talking about, don't you?" she pressed, frustration mounting. "No more vague answers, Killian. If Adrian is playing a game, I deserve to know the rules."

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "It's complicated."

Luna shot up from her chair, her frustration boiling over. "No. No more secrets. No more half-truths. You keep telling me you're protecting me, but all you're doing is keeping me blind. So tell me. Now."

He hesitated, something flickering in his expression—something close to regret. Then, with a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair.

"There was an agreement, years ago," he finally admitted. "Between your father and Adrian."

Luna's breath hitched. "My father?"

Killian nodded grimly. "Your father made a deal to keep the foundation intact after his financial troubles. Adrian was involved. But it came at a cost."

A sharp chill settled in Luna's bones. "What kind of cost?"

Killian hesitated again, his lips pressing into a firm line. "Your father gave Adrian something—a favor that Adrian could collect when he saw fit."

Luna frowned. "What kind of favor? Money? Property?"

Killian exhaled, eyes darkening. "No. Something worse."

Before she could press him further, Olivia's voice crackled through the intercom, her tone urgent. "Miss Aldridge, we have an emergency."

Luna frowned, pressing the button. "What's wrong?"

"There's a break-in at one of our project sites. The security team is requesting immediate assistance."

Luna exchanged a look with Killian, her pulse quickening.

"Where?" she demanded.

"The East Haven Shelter."

Killian was already pulling out his phone, making rapid calls. "We're going," he said firmly, grabbing her hand before she could argue.

The drive to the East Haven Shelter was tense, the air thick with unspoken fears. Luna's mind raced through possibilities. The shelter had been a crucial part of the foundation's outreach—a safe space for women and children in need. Who would target it? And why?

When they arrived, police cars were already on site. The front doors of the shelter had been forced open, shattered glass littering the entrance. Several staff members stood outside, shaken but unharmed.

Luna rushed forward, her heart hammering. "What happened?"

One of the security guards turned to her, his expression grim. "They didn't take anything. No theft. No vandalism beyond the door. It's like they just wanted to send a message."

A chill swept down Luna's spine. A message.

Killian stepped up beside her, his phone buzzing in his hand. He glanced at the screen, his expression turning even darker. Without a word, he handed her the device.

Luna took it hesitantly. A single message flashed on the screen from an unknown number.

You should've listened, Luna. Some doors should stay closed.

Her breath caught. The words were eerily similar to Adrian's warning. This wasn't a coincidence. It was a calculated threat.

"This is him, isn't it?" she murmured.

Killian didn't answer, but his clenched jaw spoke volumes.

A shiver ran down her spine. Adrian's game had begun.

And this time, she wasn't sure how to win.

Luna sat in the back seat of Killian's car as they drove away from the shelter, her mind spinning. She turned the phone over in her hands, staring at the message again as if it would change the second time she read it.

"He's toying with us," she muttered.

Killian's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "He wants control. Adrian doesn't play unless he thinks he already holds the winning hand."

Luna shook her head. "Then we take that hand away."

He glanced at her. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Luna met his gaze, steel in her voice. "We find out exactly what my father gave him. And we take it back."

Killian exhaled, gripping the wheel harder. "Luna, if we start digging, we have to be prepared for what we find."

She lifted her chin. "I'd rather know the truth than live in the dark. If my father struck a deal that put everything at risk, I have to fix it."

Killian sighed but didn't argue. "Then we start with the foundation's financial records. If there was a deal, there will be a paper trail."

Luna nodded. "And Adrian won't be expecting us to go that far. He thinks he's the one holding the secrets. But two can play that game."

Killian smirked slightly, a glimmer of admiration in his gaze. "Remind me never to underestimate you, Miss Aldridge."

Luna allowed herself a small smile, but the tension in her chest remained. She had spent years building the Aldridge Foundation into something good, something pure.

She wasn't about to let Adrian Carlisle tear it all apart.