THE LUNA'S REVENGE

Chapter 4

Maya Pov

"Hello, baby," I whisper. My tears fall on his little face. "I'm your mama. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you were born. I'm so sorry about your brother. But I promise I'll protect you now. I promise."

The baby makes a little sound and wraps his tiny fingers around my thumb.

"We need to go," my father says gently. "Can you walk?"

My body still hurts but I nod. "Yes. Let's leave before someone stops us."

He helps me into a wheelchair since I'm too weak to walk far. I hold my son close to my chest as my father pushes me out of the hospital room.

We go down a back hallway that the staff uses. My father seems to know exactly where to go. We don't see any doctors or nurses.

Outside, there's a black car waiting. My father helps me into the back seat and I clutch my baby tighter.

"Where are we going?" I ask as he starts driving.

"Silvercrest City," he tells me. "It's far from here. Different territory. You'll be safe there."

I look down at my son sleeping peacefully in my arms. He doesn't know that his father rejected us. He doesn't know his brother is dead. He doesn't know we're running away in the middle of the night.

"What should I name you?" I whisper to him.

"What were you thinking?" my father asks from the front seat.

"Ethan," I say. It just feels right. "His name is Ethan."

"That's a good name," my father says with a smile.

As we drive away from Moonstone Pack, I look back one last time. Somewhere in that territory, Adrian is grieving his father. Stella is probably comforting him, playing the role of concerned friend.

And everyone thinks I'm a murderer.

"I'll come back," I whisper to myself. "One day, I'll come back and prove I'm innocent. I'll make Stella pay for what she did. And Adrian... Adrian will regret ever doubting me."

My father hears me and nods. "That's the spirit, Maya. But first, we need to get you healthy and strong. Revenge can wait."

Little Ethan makes another small sound in his sleep. I kiss his forehead and make a silent promise.

I will give this baby a good life. I will become strong. And when the time is right, I will return to Moonstone Pack and expose the truth.

Stella thinks she won. Adrian thinks I'm a monster. They have no idea what's coming.

This isn't the end of my story. It's just the beginning.

__________________

Five years pass like a dream. Sometimes I can't believe how much my life has changed.

I stand backstage at a huge conference hall, listening to the host introduce me. My hands are shaking a little but I'm smiling.

"Please welcome our guest speaker, the CEO of Chen Industries and one of the most successful businesswomen in the country... Maya Chen!"

The crowd claps loudly as I walk onto the stage. The lights are bright and I can see hundreds of people sitting in the audience. Five years ago, I was running away in the middle of the night with a newborn baby. Now I'm here, wearing an expensive suit, about to give a speech about success.

My eyes scan the crowd until I find him. Ethan. My five-year-old son is sitting in the front row next to his grandfather. My father, Robert Chen, gives me a thumbs up. Ethan waves at me excitedly and I have to stop myself from laughing.

"Thank you for having me here today," I say into the microphone. My voice is steady and confident. "When I look back at where I was five years ago, I almost can't believe I'm the same person."

The audience listens carefully. Some people are taking notes.

"Five years ago, I lost everything," I continue. "I was broken. Hurt. Betrayed by people I trusted. I had a newborn baby and no idea how I was going to survive."

I pause and look at my father. He's nodding encouragingly.

"But I had one thing that saved me. A strong support system. My father found me when I was at my lowest point. He gave me a reason to keep going. He helped me build this empire from nothing."

More applause. I see some people wiping their eyes.

"If you want to be successful, you need that strong pillar in your life. Someone who believes in you when you don't believe in yourself. Someone who catches you when you fall. For me, that person was my father."

Robert stands up and the whole audience claps for him. I see tears in his eyes even though he's trying to hide them.

_________________

After the speech, I come down from the stage and Ethan runs to me. He's so big now. He has my hair but Adrian's eyes. Sometimes it hurts to look at him because he reminds me so much of his father.

"Mommy! You were amazing!" Ethan hugs my legs tightly.

I pick him up even though he's getting heavy. "Thank you, sweetie. Did you understand what I was talking about?"

"You said Grandpa helped you a lot. Just like he helps me with my homework!"

I laugh and kiss his cheek. "Exactly right."

Robert comes over and hugs both of us. "I'm so proud of you, Maya. Look at what you've built."

And it's true. Chen Industries started as a small consulting business. Now we have offices in five cities. We help other companies grow and succeed. I work hard, sometimes sixteen hours a day, but I love it. Every success feels like proof that I'm more than what Adrian thought I was.

"Should we get some ice cream to celebrate?" I ask Ethan.

"Yes! Yes! Chocolate!" He bounces in my arms.

"Alright, let's go."

We leave the conference hall and walk to a nearby shopping mall. It's a beautiful day and I'm feeling happy. Ethan is chattering about his favorite superhero while Robert tells me about a new business deal.

We walk into the mall and head toward the ice cream shop. Ethan is pulling my hand, making me walk faster.

Then I see them.

Adrian and Stella are standing near a jewelry store. They're looking at rings in the window. Stella is laughing at something Adrian said, her hand on his arm.

My heart stops.

Five years. It's been five whole years since I last saw them. But seeing them now brings everything back like it happened yesterday. The blood. The lies. The betrayal. The pain of giving birth alone. The empty feeling when they told me my son was dead.

I freeze in the middle of the mall. I can't move. I can't breathe.

"Mommy?" Ethan tugs my hand. "What's wrong?"

I look down at my sweet boy. He doesn't know anything about Adrian. I told him his father died before he was born. It seemed easier than explaining that his father rejected us and took his twin brother away.

Robert follows my gaze and his face goes dark. "Is that them?"