Lunar Bound

Chapter 5: Shadows and Doubts

Ruby’s heart still pounded from the intensity of the vision as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Damien had left the room after she insisted she was fine, though the concern in his eyes had lingered long after he closed the door. She could still feel the echo of his touch, her body betraying her by aching for more despite the terrifying images that had flooded her mind.

What was that? She had seen flashes of her old life—her father’s rage, her mother’s empty gaze, the suffocating fear that had defined her existence. But there was something else, something she couldn’t quite grasp, a shadowy figure lurking in the background. She shook her head, trying to clear it.

Damien wasn’t the problem, she told herself. He couldn’t be. But the doubt gnawed at her, tiny and insidious, like a splinter lodged deep beneath her skin.

She got up and padded across the plush carpet to the window, pulling back the heavy drapes. Morning sunlight streamed in, casting the room in a warm glow. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the view. The vast estate spread out before her, with manicured gardens, a glistening pool, and a forest that stretched out to the horizon. She had never seen anything so beautiful, so… luxurious.

As she turned away from the window, there was a soft knock on the door. Ruby froze, her pulse quickening. But it wasn’t Damien who stepped inside. It was a woman.

Tall, blonde, and exuding a kind of effortless elegance, she was everything Ruby wasn’t. The woman’s sharp blue eyes scanned Ruby with a cool, assessing gaze, making Ruby instinctively pull the robe tighter around her.

“Oh, you’re awake,” the woman said, her voice smooth and cultured. “Damien mentioned you might still be resting.”

“Who… who are you?” Ruby asked, hating how small her voice sounded.

The woman smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m Lila, Damien’s assistant.” The way she said it, with a slight curl of her lips, made Ruby’s stomach twist with unease.

Assistant? Right. The way she looked at Ruby, like she was something insignificant, only deepened the growing discomfort in her chest. And as if that wasn’t enough, there was something too familiar, too close between her and Damien that Ruby couldn’t ignore.

“You must be Ruby,” Lila continued, her tone a shade too polite. “I hope you’re finding everything to your satisfaction?”

Ruby managed a stiff nod. “Yes… thank you.”

Lila’s gaze lingered on Ruby for a moment longer, and then she turned, moving toward the door. “Breakfast will be served shortly in the dining room. I’ll have the maids bring up something suitable for you to wear.”

Maids? Ruby frowned. Last night, the house had been eerily quiet, almost desolate. Now, there were maids, an assistant… What had she gotten herself into?

As Lila left the room, Ruby felt a pang of jealousy flare up inside her, sharp and unexpected. Who was this woman to Damien? Was she more than just an assistant? Ruby didn’t even understand why she cared so much, but the thought of Damien being close to another woman made her blood boil.

After a quick shower, Ruby dressed in the clothes that had been laid out for her—a soft blue dress that fit her perfectly, as if someone had known her exact size. As she walked down the grand staircase, the sound of voices below made her pause.

“…and you think she’s the one?” Lila’s voice drifted up to Ruby, cold and skeptical.

“She is,” Damien’s deep voice responded, full of conviction.

“And you trust her?” Lila pressed.

There was a pause, and Ruby’s heart skipped a beat. Was Damien doubting her too?

“She’s… different,” Damien said finally, his tone softer. “I’m not sure what she saw last night, but it affected her.”

Ruby took a breath and stepped forward, letting her heels click against the marble floor to announce her presence. The conversation stopped abruptly as both heads turned toward her. Damien’s expression was unreadable, but Lila’s icy gaze was impossible to miss.

“Ruby,” Damien greeted her, his voice warm, though his eyes held a flicker of something she couldn’t quite place. “Are you hungry?”

She nodded, forcing a smile. “Starving.”

Breakfast was an elaborate affair, with enough food to feed a small army. Ruby picked at her plate, too distracted by the tension between Damien and Lila. Every time Damien looked at her, she felt Lila’s eyes on her, judging, calculating.

After breakfast, Ruby found the courage to address the one thing she knew she needed to—school.

“Damien,” she began hesitantly, “I… I need to go to school today.”

His expression darkened immediately. “School? After everything that’s happened?”

Ruby swallowed. “I can’t just drop everything. Besides, people will start asking questions if I don’t show up. It’s my last year, and I need to graduate.”

Lila smirked, leaning back in her chair with an amused glint in her eye, as if enjoying Damien’s discomfort.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Damien said, his voice firm. “There are… things you don’t understand yet. It’s dangerous.”

Ruby’s temper flared, the jealousy from earlier fueling her determination. “So what? You want me to stay locked up in this mansion like some prisoner?” Her voice trembled with frustration.

Damien’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it.”

Ruby stood up, pushing her chair back with a scrape. “Then let me go. I’m not asking for permission. I’m going, whether you like it or not.”

For a moment, they stared at each other, the air thick with unspoken words. Finally, Damien let out a slow breath, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “Fine,” he conceded, though his voice was tight. “But I’ll have someone drive you.”

Ruby didn’t argue, sensing it was the only compromise she was going to get. As she was about to leave, she caught Lila’s smug smile and felt a fresh wave of irritation. She wasn’t going to let this woman get under her skin.

The drive to school was uneventful, but Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, even as the familiar streets of her neighborhood rolled by. When she finally arrived, she stepped out of the car, glancing back at the driver who watched her with an unreadable expression. She offered a tight smile before hurrying into the school building.

Inside, the usual buzz of high school life surrounded her, but Ruby felt like a stranger in her own world. She quickly made her way to her locker, the routine of it calming her nerves somewhat. As she closed the door, she was greeted by the one person who made her feel like she could breathe again—Emma, her best and only friend.

“Ruby!” Emma’s eyes widened as she took in Ruby’s new look. “Where did you get that dress? And what’s with the driver? What the hell happened to you?”

Ruby hesitated, knowing she couldn’t tell Emma the full truth. “It’s… complicated,” she said finally.

“Complicated?” Emma repeated, crossing her arms. “You disappear for a day, and now you show up looking like you’ve stepped out of some rich guy’s fantasy? Spill it!”

Ruby bit her lip, trying to find the right words. “I… I met someone,” she admitted, watching as Emma’s eyes grew even wider.

“You what? You mean like a guy? Oh my God, Ruby! This is huge! Tell me everything.”

Ruby smiled faintly, feeling a warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time. She didn’t have much, but she had Emma, and that meant something. “He’s… different,” she began slowly. “He’s strong, and he… he saved me.”

Emma’s smile faltered slightly. “Saved you? From what?”

Ruby’s mind flashed to her father’s fists, to the darkness that had haunted her for so long. “From… my past.”

Emma frowned, leaning in closer. “Ruby, are you okay? I mean, really okay? This sounds kind of… intense. You sure he’s not some crazy psycho?”

Ruby laughed, though it came out more nervous than she intended. “No, nothing like that. He’s… complicated, but he’s good to me.”

Emma wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know, Rubes. You’ve never been good with guys, and this one sounds like he’s got a lot of baggage. Just… be careful, okay?”

“I will,” Ruby promised, though the doubt in her mind still lingered. Damien was hiding something—something big. But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside. She had to focus on the here and now, on surviving school, and figuring out her next move.

As the day went on, Ruby found herself distracted, her mind constantly drifting back to Damien, to the vision, to Lila’s icy gaze. By the time the final bell rang, she was exhausted, both physically and mentally. But as she gathered her things, ready to leave, a shadow fell over her.

“Ruby,” a voice said softly, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked up to see a pair of dark, unfamiliar eyes staring down at her. Eyes filled with knowing.

“I ’ve been looking for you,” the stranger said, a smile playing at the corners of their lips.