That night, after the long, exhausting day, Luna finally slipped into her night dress—black shorts and a matching black crop top. Her hair was still damp from her shower, her skin fresh, her body aching for rest. She curled into bed, eyes drifting shut—when a soft knock echoed through the silence.
She frowned. Who would come at this hour?
When she opened the door, there he was again. Alex.
He stood in the hallway, tall and composed, but his eyes betrayed something restless.
"Luna…" he began, voice low.
Before he could finish, Luna sighed, almost in frustration. She stepped back, grabbed his phone from his hand, and without asking, typed her number into it—saving it under her name. Then she slid his ID card across the table toward him.
"There," she said flatly. "Now you don't have to follow me around like a lost puppy. But don't misunderstand this, Alex. Just because you have my number doesn't mean you have my trust. You already cheated me once. I won't let myself fall twice."
Her words cut like a knife, but Alex didn't fight back. His eyes softened. He only whispered, "I never cheated you, Luna. Not then. Not ever. You just never let me explain."
Luna's chest tightened, but she masked it with indifference. "Goodnight, Mr. CEO." And she closed the door.
For sometime, Alex had to go to Thailand for attending some meetings, so he texted Luna for teasing her that Hi, I am leaving New York for sometime but just handle everything nicely and he even text his manager to keep a check on Luna and keep a check on people who are around Luna. Are they hurting Luna or anything like that because Alex truly cared for Luna
Soon,
Meanwhile, Luna was rising like the star she once was. Her return to the legal world shocked everyone. Case after case, she fought fiercely, her voice echoing in courtrooms with authority and passion. Clients lined up for her—trusting her, admiring her.
And she delivered. She won.
Every victory brought her a step closer to the Luna she once used to be—the glowing, fearless, untouchable woman.
But at night, in her office after hours, when the crowd was gone and the lights dimmed, she sometimes stared at her reflection in the glass window. Her lips curved in a bitter smile.
She whispered softly, almost to herself:
"I'm winning everything… but losing myself."
And somewhere far across the city, Alex, staring at the night sky, whispered too:
"I'm losing everything… but still holding onto you."
Alex decided to leave Thailand completely so that he can stay with Luna and keep a check on Luna in New York, so he booked a hotel so that he can stay there for sometime until he get his own flat
Alex didn't sleep that night. He stared out of his hotel window at the glittering skyline of New York. He had left Thailand—his empire, his comfort—to move here, only to be near her again. He transferred everything, every single string of his life, to New York. Not for the company. Not for power. For her.
But Luna didn't know that.
The next morning, Luna entered her law office, fierce as ever. The courtroom had become her battlefield, and every case she took, she won. Clients praised her. Opponents feared her. Reporters started calling her "The Phoenix Lawyer"—because she had risen from ashes.
Alex watched all of this silently, never interfering. He came to her cases, sat in the back rows where no one noticed him, and left before she could see him.
But one evening, danger slipped into her perfect routine.
As Luna walked out of the courthouse with files pressed to her chest, a car screeched near the curb. Two masked men stepped out, blocking her path. One grabbed her arm roughly.
"Ms. Luna, you've been winning too much. Our client doesn't like that," one of them growled.
Luna struggled, panic flashing in her eyes—but before she could scream, a strong hand yanked the man back.
Alex.
His fist connected with the thug's jaw, sending him crashing into the hood of the car. The second attacker swung at him, but Alex ducked, slammed the man against the wall, and twisted his wrist until the knife clattered to the ground.
Luna stood frozen, watching. The man she called a "cheater" was bleeding from his lip, his shirt torn, but his eyes were only on her. Protecting. Shielding.
"Are you okay?" he asked breathlessly, stepping toward her.
Luna's throat tightened. She wanted to say yes, wanted to thank him, wanted to collapse into his arms. But instead, she whispered, "You can't just appear in my life whenever you want, Alex. Saving me doesn't change the past."
Alex's jaw tightened. He wanted to scream that the past wasn't what she thought, that he never betrayed her. But again—he stayed silent.
Because she wouldn't let him explain.
He only murmured, "I'll always be here. Whether you want me to or not."
Luna's heart pounded, her mind screaming in denial, but her body betraying her with the blush on her cheeks.
She turned away quickly. "I don't need you."
But when she walked off, her hands trembled.
That night, alone in her apartment, Luna touched the spot on her arm where Alex had grabbed her to protect her. It burned—not with pain, but with memory.
She whispered into the darkness, voice cracking, "Then why… why do I still feel safe with you?"
And across the city, Alex sat alone in his office, staring at her number saved on his phone, never dialing, whispering to himself:
"One day… you'll know the truth."