Chapter 22

I reached out and squeezed her hand. “There’s no way you could have known, Amber. Jake was good at hiding it.”

“I guess,” she said, shrugging. “It’s just… I thought I knew him, you know? And now I feel like I never really did.”

We spent the rest of the meal comforting Amber and making plans for the remainder of our trip—including a spa reservation for the following morning and brunch afterward, promising a rather luxurious vacation.

By the time we left the restaurant, the mood had considerably improved. We called for the driver and returned to the rental, where we retired to our respective rooms for rest and solitude.

That night, however, I found myself unable to sleep. The others had been asleep for hours, but I remained wide awake, my mind racing. My thoughts centered particularly on Noah.

“I’m proud of you,” he’d said that night in the kitchen. I’d been so stunned that I’d only thanked him and quickly left, without even saying goodnight. How could he be so kind after I’d told him I’d been fantasizing about Drake?

Unless… No. There was no way he could know I was lying, was there?

Quietly, I slipped out of bed, threw on my bikini, and went to the back deck. The hot tub was still warm, steam rising in the cool night air. I removed my cover-up and slid into the water, sighing as the heat enveloped me.

As I sat gazing at the starry sky, I couldn't help but reflect on how much had changed. Just a few months ago, I had been so unhappy with my body, starving myself and taking diet pills until… I didn’t want to think about what had happened. All that mattered was that now, I was healthier, stronger… and apparently more attractive, judging by the attention I'd received at the bar that evening.

I ran my hands over my curves beneath the water, marveling at how different I felt. My thighs were fuller, my hips rounder, my breasts more ample. For the first time in a long time, I felt sexy.

It was then that I touched my lower belly, almost protectively. I still wasn’t showing, and likely wouldn’t for some time. But that little life inside me was growing.

My mind drifted back to the night I’d told Viona everything. She still occasionally urged me to tell Noah the truth, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. If I couldn’t even admit to him that he was the object of my fantasies, how could I tell him I was pregnant with his child?

Suddenly, a car engine broke through my reverie. I frowned, wondering who would be arriving so late. As I peered into the darkness, I saw a black car pulling into the driveway.

My heart pounded as a familiar figure emerged. I recognized those broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes instantly: David, the man from the bar. What was he doing here? How did he know where we were staying?

Panic seized me—something felt wrong. I scrambled out of the hot tub, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around myself. I had to get inside, to wake the others.

But as I turned toward the door, I froze. Another man stood there, blocking my path. In his hand was a gun, pointed directly at me.

“Don’t scream,” he said quietly. “Or I’ll shoot.”

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see David approaching, his hands in his pockets, his earlier charm replaced by a cold, calculating gaze.

“Come with us, Luna Hannah,” he said, his voice calm and even, “and no one will get hurt.”