Luna walked back to her room with a slight daze still clinging to her shoulders, as though the emotional weight of the morning had sunk into her bones. The hallways felt quieter now, the polished floors reflecting her unsure steps. She half-expected to wake up in her cluttered studio apartment to the sound of her upstairs neighbor vacuuming at 7 a.m.
But when she opened the door to her room, the scent of warm food instantly greeted her—savory, buttery, spiced delicacies wafting through the air.
There, beside the tall windows overlooking the estate garden, a small round table had been set. A white linen cloth stretched smoothly over it, and atop it sat an array of dishes, each more elegant than the last. A folded note lay beside a covered soup bowl.
Luna picked it up.
"Miss Luna — We were informed you did not attend breakfast. Master Emmerich insisted you not miss a meal. Please enjoy."
—Chef Marnier
She blinked. Then grinned.
"Well… guess skipping breakfast comes with perks now."
She sat down and began tasting everything. Fluffy croissants, a tomato and herb tart with goat cheese, buttery scrambled eggs with hints of truffle, a little salad of chilled pear and arugula, and—blessedly—a warm vegetable stew that soothed her nerves with each bite.
She paused mid-spoonful. "God, this is so much better than instant ramen," she muttered. "And definitely better than half a cookie and expired yogurt."
By the time she'd sampled nearly everything on the table, her stomach was full and her thoughts had slowed. A sense of comfort—strange, unfamiliar, but real—wrapped around her like the blanket she used to keep by her futon.
Then it hit her.
"Milo."
She straightened in her chair.
She'd meant to ask her father about bringing Milo, her orange, snarky, one-eyed rescue cat. Her only roommate for the last five years, and the only living creature who had ever head-butted her at 3 a.m. out of sheer affection.
Rising quickly, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, spotting one of the maids nearby. The young woman in a pristine slate-gray uniform bowed politely.
"Excuse me," Luna said. "Could I… maybe talk to my father? I forgot to ask something important."
The maid smiled kindly. "Of course, Miss Luna. Please wait one moment. I'll call the secretary and check his availability."
Luna nodded, trying to look composed as the maid stepped aside and pressed a slim comm device to her ear.
After a few murmured words and a brief pause, the maid turned back.
"Master Emmerich is currently occupied with back-to-back meetings until the evening. However, the secretary says he'll be free at dinner and looks forward to seeing you then."
Luna gave a sheepish smile. "Right. Of course he's booked solid. The man probably schedules his breathing."
"If you'd like, I can let the staff know you'll join him this evening," the maid offered.
"Yeah, thanks," Luna said. "That'd be great."
As the maid bowed and walked off, Luna leaned lightly against the wall, letting out a slow breath. She could already picture Milo sulking in her empty apartment, probably pushing cups off tables in protest.
"Hang in there, Milo," she whispered to herself. "Mama's trying to negotiate your luxury upgrade."
Back in her room, Luna sat cross-legged on the massive bed, a soft throw draped over her shoulders as she stared at the ornate ceiling. For all its grandeur, the stillness was getting to her. She'd never had so much quiet in her life.
Then, suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Oh crap. The café!"
She scrambled upright, nearly tripping over the throw, and looked around for her phone—only to realize, with a sinking stomach, that it was nowhere to be found.
"I left it at the café," she groaned, rubbing her forehead. "I left my whole life on the counter next to the espresso machine."
Rushing to the door, she called for assistance. One of the ever-present maids arrived with her usual poise, and Luna tried not to sound too desperate.
"Hi. Uh—can I borrow a phone? I left mine at work and I really, really need to call my boss."
The maid, without missing a beat, gave a small bow. "Of course, Miss Luna. One moment, please."
Luna expected a generic house phone or maybe some sleek company model from five years ago. Instead, the maid returned within minutes carrying a pristine, box-fresh Solari V12, the newest flagship smartphone, barely released, all shimmer and curved glass.
Luna stared at it like it might bite her.
"Wait. This? No, I meant a regular phone. Something with buttons. Maybe a little cracked."
"The master had this prepared for your use. It comes fully synced with access to the company's internal network and security," the maid said calmly, offering the device with a reverent bow.
Luna hesitated, then sighed, taking it with two fingers like it might self-destruct. "This thing costs more than my last three months of rent."
Nonetheless, she powered it on, fumbled through the new interface, and dialed the familiar number.
After three rings, a voice crackled through. "Purradise Cat Lounge, this is Ken."
"Ken!" Luna gasped. "It's me, Luna."
"…Luna?" There was a pause. "Nice, you finally decided to contact me? You disappeared in the middle of the day with those men in suits. You okay? Oh, and yeah, I had to clock you out."
"I know, I'm so sorry. Something… uh… really big came up. I'll explain everything tomorrow, I promise."
"Are you quitting?"
"I don't know yet," Luna said truthfully. "But I'll come by tomorrow to settle everything, at least formally."
There was another pause on the line. "Weird vibe, Luna. You sound like you joined a cult."
Luna snorted. "Honestly? That would've been simpler."
She hesitated, then added, "Hey, did Kana pick up Milo?"
"Yeah, she came by right after you left. Seemed kinda pissed you didn't tell her yourself."
Luna winced. "Yeah… that tracks. Thanks, Ken."
She quickly hung up and immediately dialed Kana's number. With a deep breath, she called.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—
"You better be calling to say you're outside my door," Kana snapped.
Luna winced. "Oh, glad you recognise my voice, best friend... and Hi to you too. And no. I'm still… not home."
"You ghosted. Again. You left Milo. You vanished. What the hell, Luna?"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I got caught up in something insane. Like—top-tier drama. I swear I'll explain everything when I see you tomorrow."
"You better, because I'm two seconds away from making Milo mine. He already likes me more. We shared salmon."
Luna laughed, despite herself. "Kana, you're bribing my cat."
"He's bribeable," Kana said unapologetically. "And frankly, he deserves someone who doesn't ditch him in a café."
"Okay, valid. But I'll make it up to him—and you. I promise. Tomorrow."
"You better bring proof, Luna. If I find out you just ran away to join a sketchy boyfriend or joined a moon cult, I will keep Milo."
Luna grinned. "Deal. You'll get your proof. Just don't brainwash my cat before then."
She hung up, still smiling faintly, her fingers tapping the edge of the sleek phone.
For a few moments, it felt like her old life was still waiting for her—coffee-stained, cat-haired, and full of people who gave a damn. She curled back onto the bed, phone pressed to her chest.
Tomorrow, she'd go back… even if just for a while.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Luna lay sprawled across the velvet chaise by the window, legs thrown over the side, eyes narrowed in competitive fury as her thumbs danced across the screen of her new phone.
Since she had the rest of the day off might as well enjoy it.
"Come on… come on—YES—wait, NO—ugh!" she cried, jabbing the screen. "That boss was not supposed to have a second phase!"
The game-over screen taunted her with smug flashing text. Luna flopped her head back and groaned, the sunlight streaming across her face through gauzy curtains.
"So much power in one device, and I'm using it to get wrecked by pixel dragons," she muttered, letting the phone rest on her chest.
Just as she considered whether or not she could handle another round of defeat, the phone buzzed.
She blinked at the screen.
[Father - Emmerich]
"My apologies, Luna. I'm tied up in meetings and won't be able to speak with you until dinner. I hope your day has been peaceful."
She stared at the message longer than necessary.
Something about seeing him—the impossibly elegant Emmerich Arklight, a man whose suit collars probably cost more than her monthly rent—apologize in such a gentle, human way made her lips twitch.
She thumbed a reply:
[Luna]
"It's okay. I just wanted to ask something, but it can wait. We'll talk over dinner. Don't overwork yourself, okay, Mr. CEO?"
She hit send before she could overthink the tone. A moment later, a second message came in:
[Seen]
Luna tilted her head back again, staring at the gilded molding on the ceiling. The room, the food, the phone, the quiet—it was all still unreal. But that message exchange… that felt real. Ordinary, even. In the best possible way.
Meanwhile, across the manor, in the high-ceilinged conference room with its sweeping windows and holographic charts glowing in midair, Emmerich sat at the head of the table. His posture was precise, hands clasped before him as his executives finished a quarterly report.
Then, just as someone began presenting projected sustainability metrics, Emmerich's tablet lit up with a soft chime.
He glanced down.
[Luna]
"It's okay. I just wanted to ask something, but it can wait. We'll talk over dinner. Don't overwork yourself, okay, Mr. CEO?"
A small, brief smile broke across his face—quiet, but unmistakable.
Around the table, a few of the executives blinked, exchanging discreet glances. The CEO of Arklight Renewables didn't usually glance at his messages mid-meeting. And he certainly didn't smile during budget discussions.
Emmerich, however, seemed wholly unaware of the stares. He tapped a quick reply—something simple, something unpolished:
[Emmerich]
"Understood. Looking forward to it."
Then he set the tablet aside and said, "Let's proceed."
Yet the warmth lingered in his eyes long after the charts resumed their motion in the air.