The next day, Ashy sat on the front porch, pencil in hand, sketching something in his sketchbook. Luna walked past him, humming and dressed neatly for school.
"You're smiling a lot lately," Ashy said without looking up.
Luna paused. "That a problem?"
"Not unless it's because of him."
She laughed and ruffled his hair. "Ashy, Steve is… different now."
"He better be. Or I'll report him to Mom."
They both laughed. But Ashy's smile faded a little.
"I still don't trust rich people," he mumbled. "But if he makes you happy…"
"He's trying, Ashy. That counts."
Ashy looked at his sketch,a drawing of Luna and Steve sitting under a tree, her head on his shoulder. He frowned and flipped to a new page.
The next morning, Luna helped her mom sort out some old boxes in the backroom of the Collins mansion. Grace had insisted on clearing the old storage space that once belonged to Jonathan Collins.
While moving a dusty chest, Luna's hand brushed against a thick leather-bound book wedged behind some files. She picked it up. It was a journal,worn, old, and locked with a rusted clip.
"Mom… what's this?"
Grace turned and her face went pale. "Where did you find that?"
"Behind the cabinet. It looks like… someone's diary."
Grace hesitated before replying. "That belonged to Mr. Jonathan… Steve's father."
Luna held it tighter. "Do you think Steve has read it?"
"I doubt it," Grace whispered, lowering her voice. "That book… it's dangerous. It holds things better left buried."
Luna frowned. "Things like… the truth about Dad?"
Grace looked away.
That silence said more than words.
Later that night, Luna sat on her bed, the journal in her hands. She had managed to find a hairpin and open the lock. The pages were filled with messy, fast handwriting. One line caught her eye:
"He knew too much… Charlotte was getting close. I had to silence the voice before it roared."
Her breath caught.
Charlotte. Her father?
She flipped the page.
"Ebenezer was warned. He didn't listen."
Luna's hands trembled.
Steve walked in quietly and noticed the book. "What's that?"
She looked up slowly. "Your father's words… the ones that could change everything."
Steve stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Let me see that."
Luna hugged the journal to her chest. "No. Not yet. I need to read it first."
His face tightened. "Luna, whatever's in there, it could hurt both of us."
"Then let's hurt together. But not in the dark."
They stood there in silence,two hearts, one truth, and a journal that could shatter or save everything.
The night stretched deep into quiet, but Luna couldn't sleep.
She sat on her bed, journal open, Steve beside her now. He had finally agreed to read it with her.
Every page felt like peeling off a wound from the past.
There were entries about secret business deals, names of people paid off, and silent threats made to those who asked questions. Then they reached March 4th,The day her father died.
> "Charlotte kept digging. I told Gideon to 'handle it quietly.' But blood was spilled."
Steve dropped the journal. His face was pale.
"Gideon… my father used him to get rid of people?" Steve said, voice cracking.
Luna looked up at him, heart heavy. "Gideon still works here, Steve."
There was a knock on the door. Loud. Sharp.
Grace rushed in. "Luna! Steve! We have a problem. Someone's broken into the outer gate."
Steve stood immediately. "Stay here. Both of you."
"No way," Luna said. "I'm coming with you."
Together, they rushed downstairs. The guards were already checking the perimeter.
One of them held up a metal object. "Sir, we found this by the gate. It's a tracker."
Steve grabbed it, then exchanged a knowing look with Luna.
"This isn't just about the journal," he said. "Someone knows what we found."
Luna's heart pounded.
Suddenly, Ashy came running from the hallway. "There was someone outside my window. I saw a shadow."
Steve turned to Gideon, who had just arrived, calm and cold as always.
"I want extra men guarding the house tonight. No one leaves," Steve said.
Gideon nodded. "Of course, sir."
But Luna saw it,the twitch in Gideon's eye. The tightness in his jaw.
He knew.
And now they knew he knew.
Something big was coming.
And the past… wasn't done yet.
The break-in rattled everyone, but it wasn't just the intruders Luna was worried about. It was the fact that Gideon, the man she had once trusted like family, had a secret. A secret that could tear them all apart.
As the guards began to secure the outer perimeter, Luna couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The house, which once felt like a sanctuary, now felt like a cage.
Steve stood beside her, his jaw clenched. "This isn't just a coincidence. Someone is trying to stop us from digging deeper."
Luna nodded, her eyes dark with the realization that the danger wasn't over. "We need to find out who's behind this."
Before Steve could respond, Gideon approached, his movements calculated, but Luna could see the unease in his eyes. He was always calm, always in control, but tonight there was something different.
Steve didn't even give him a greeting. "Extra men on duty," he said coldly. "I want the gates double-checked. No one leaves until further notice."
Gideon's lips curled into a small, forced smile. "Understood."
Luna watched him closely as he turned away to give orders to the staff. There was something off about the way he handled the situation. Almost as if he already knew what was coming.
"You think he's behind it?" Luna asked quietly, glancing at Steve.
"I don't know," Steve replied, his voice tight. "But we're not taking any chances. Not now."
They moved back to the living room, where Grace and Ashy were waiting anxiously. Grace immediately pulled Luna into a tight embrace. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice quivering.
"I'm fine, Mom," Luna said, trying to reassure her. But inside, her heart was racing. She knew that the moment they'd uncovered the truth in that journal, they had crossed a line. A line that could cost them everything.
Steve sat down, running a hand through his hair. "We need to get to the bottom of this, Luna. I don't care how deep it goes. We have to know who's behind this."
Luna felt her stomach tighten. There was no turning back now. They were in too deep, and whoever was behind this would stop at nothing to silence them.