THE GHOST KING RETURNS

CHAPTER 2

Luna awoke to the next day light filtering through the sheer curtains. For a moment, she forgot where she was. Then she remembered the previous night: the grand ballroom, the strange, handsome man who had knelt before her, and the words that still echoed in her mind. “I’m that boy. I’ve come to protect you.”

She was no longer the Broken Princess, a commodity to be sold off. She was Luna, in a beautiful, unfamiliar house, protected by a man called himself the Ghost King. She got up, the silk pajamas Rex had left for her feeling impossibly soft against her skin. She walked to the window and looked out at a sprawling garden. It was a world away from the cold, empty mansion she had grown up in.

Just then, the bedroom door opened and Rex walked in, a tray in his hands. "Good morning," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I brought you some breakfast."

Luna's heart fluttered. She watched as he placed the tray on a small table. There were fresh croquettes, a fruit bowl, and a glass of orange juice. "You didn't have to," she whispered, her voice still thick with emotion.

He looked at her, his dark eyes intense. "I did. You took care of me when I had nothing. It's my turn now." He asked her to sit and eat, "The doctors will be here soon."

A wave of fear and anxiety washed over her. She knew this was a part of his promise, but the thought of letting strangers touch her face, of having them see her scars, made her skin crawl. "I... I don't know if I can," she admitted, her voice trembling. "What if it doesn't work? What if they can't help me?"

Rex knelt in front of her, just as he had in the ballroom. He gently took her hands. "Luna, you are a whole person, with or without those scars. They are a part of your story, but they do not define you." His thumb brushed over her knuckles, a simple, reassuring gesture. "The doctors are the best in the world. They will heal you. And if they can't, I will still be here. Your beauty is not something to be fixed. It’s a light that shines from within you."

He spoke with such certainty, such unwavering faith, that Luna felt the fear begin to recede. She looked into his eyes and saw a genuine affection, a promise that went beyond words. She felt a connection to him that was deeper than anything she had ever known.

"I have something for you," he said, standing and walking to a nearby desk. He picked up a small, elegant phone and handed it to her. "This is for you. Call me if you need anything, day or night. Don’t hesitate."

"Thank you," she said, clutching the phone tightly. It was more than a device; it was a lifeline, a tangible link to the man who had changed her life.

Just then, a knock came at the door. "The doctors are here, King," a man's voice said from the hallway.

Luna tensed. Rex placed a hand on her shoulder. "Remember what I said. You're not alone. I'll be right outside the door."

He gave her a small, encouraging smile before leaving. Luna took a deep breath, and for the first time in years, she felt a sense of hope. She was no longer the Broken Princess. She was the Ghost King’s queen, and he was here to make things right.

The doctors were gentle, their movements precise and professional. They had a calm, reassuring energy that helped ease Luna's fears. They spent hours examining her scars and her cloudy eye, speaking in soft, technical whispers. Luna lay still, trusting them, and more importantly, trusting Rex's promise. He was a man of his word.

After they finished, the head doctor, a kind-faced woman with silver hair, spoke. “The scarring can be minimized, and your eye… It’s a difficult case, but not impossible. The technology is new, but we believe we can restore your sight.”

A wave of relief so powerful it almost brought her to her knees washed over Luna. She hadn't realized how heavy the weight of her appearance had been, how deeply it had affected every part of her life. A part of her that was broken could be fixed. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.

When she was alone again, Rex returned. He didn’t ask about the doctor's diagnosis. He just sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

“They can help me,” she whispered, the words catching in her throat. “They can fix my eyes.”

Rex smiled, a rare, genuine smile that lit up his face. “I told you. You’re not broken. You just need someone to see your light.”

He didn't make a big deal about her news, and she was grateful for that. He made her feel as though she was the most important person in the world, not just a problem to be solved.

“I have to go to a meeting,” he said, his smile fading as a serious look replaced it. “It won’t take long. My people will be here if you need anything at all.”

"A meeting?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "For the Anderson family company?"

He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her, his eyes unreadable. “You could say that. There's a debt to be repaid.”

With that, he was gone, leaving Luna to wonder about the mysterious world he lived in. She sat on the balcony, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of orange and pink. She thought about her life just yesterday, how hopeless it had seemed. Now, everything has changed. She had a new home, a new life, and a future she had never dared to dream of.

Meanwhile, Rex arrived at the top floor of a gleaming skyscraper. His men were waiting for him. "King, the meeting with the shareholders of Anderson Company is about to begin. We have a list of their demands."

Rex didn’t even look at the file. "I already know their demands. They want me to save their company. The price? Their daughter's hand in marriage." He entered the boardroom, his presence commanding immediate silence. The shareholders, a group of smug, greedy men, looked at him with a mix of awe and suspicion.

“Gentlemen,” Rex said, his voice cold and sharp. "I’ve heard you're looking for an investor. I am Rex Thorne, and I am prepared to invest. But there are a few conditions."

The shareholders leaned forward, their eyes glittering with greed. “What conditions?” one of them asked.

"The first condition," Rex said, a chilling smile on his face, "is that you will never mention Luna Anderson's name again. She is my wife, and she is no longer a part of your business dealings. The second condition is that I will be the sole owner of this company. Everyone of you will sign over your shares to me, effective immediately."

The room erupted in a furious protest. "That's insane! We’ll never agree to that!" one man shouted.

Rex’s smile vanished. "You have no choice," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I know everything about your little conspiracy. The dirty secrets you thought were buried. The money you stole. The lives you ruined." He walked to the head of the table and placed a thick file on it. "Or should I say, the lives you tried to ruin. It seems you left one person alive. Me."

The faces of the shareholders went pale. They knew who he was. They knew the story of Adrian Shaw, the boy who disappeared ten years ago. They had all been a part of the plot to destroy his family. They thought he was dead.

"You have two choices," Rex said, his voice calm and deadly. "You can sign over the company and walk away with your lives. Or you can spend the rest of your days in a cell, with the world knowing exactly what you did." He looked at each of them, his eyes full of the promise of revenge. "Choose wisely."

Within minutes, the papers were signed. Rex Thorne, the Ghost King, had just taken over the Anderson family's company. He had a debt to repay to Luna’s father, but the greater debt he would collect from the men who had destroyed his life and left him for dead. He walked out of the boardroom, leaving a group of broken, defeated men behind.