The Luna’s Chains
The study smelled of old parchment and
Smoke, the candlelight flickering across
Shelves stacked with forgotten records.
Kimberly’s father sat hunched over his desk, the weight of years pressing into his shoulders. His hands trembled as he closed a ledger, but before he could rise, the door opened without a knock.
Mona stepped inside, her golden gown flowing like liquid sunlight. Her smile was soft, sweet—deceptively so.
“Uncle,” she said gently, her voice honeyed. “Burning the midnight oil again?”
He stiffened, his jaw tightening. “What do you want, Mona?”
She closed the door, the lock clicking softly behind her. “What I always want,” she said smoothly, moving closer, her perfume cloying in the heavy air. “For our family to be… loyal.”
He said nothing, but his si
