#Chapter 81: Home


    Abby


    The scent of mahogany and bergamot fills the air as I step into the room that was once mine—our


    room, really.


    I feel so drawn to the familiarity of it all; the embroidered curtains, the chestnut armoire that I remember


    picking out myself, and the plush rug that used to cushion my bare feet in the mornings. Every little


    detail is still the same, just as I remember it. It’s uncanny, really.


    My fingers trace the intricate patterns on the upholstery of the armchair near the window. It’s a bit


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    surreal, being back in this space. I mean, this was my sanctuary once. Our sanctuary. But now, it’s


    filled with… bittersweet memories. Maybe more bitter than sweet.


    I move to the dresser next. That’s when I see it: a photo of us, still sitting exactly where it used to be on


    top of the dresser—Karl and Iughing at something, looking so young, so naive. My eyes widen


    slightly as I gently pick it up. Did he have this picture up all this time?


    As I hold the picture, something stirs in me. Tears begin to prick the backs of my eyes, and I have to set


    the frame back down with a ragged breath,ying the photo t so I don’t need to look at it. Suddenly, it


    feels all too stuffy in here, and I need to get out for a bit.


    I make my way down the winding staircase and out through therge foyer, bypassing the nces of a


    few household staff. When I reach the back patio, I take a deep breath, as if I can finally breathe again.


    Then, pushing open the door, I step into the garden, a sanctuary that I used to escape to when the


    weight of the world felt unbearable.


    The colors and smells envelop me instantly, filling my senses with a mix of nostalgia and tranquility.


    Rows of roses,vender, and daisies stretch out in front of me like an artist’s vivid canvas. I walk past a


    bunch of lilies, their heads tilted towards the sun, and reach the jasmine vine that was always my


    favorite. Leaning in, I take a deep sniff. Its scent is as intoxicating as I remember.


    For a moment, I feel free from the memories and the spection that my return is no doubt generating.


    But then, feeling as though someone is watching me, I look up instinctively toward the mansion.


    Overhead in a window, that’s where I see Gerald, the butler, staring at me through one of the back


    windows.


    His face is inscrutable, but his eyes, they hold a certain...bewilderment? Or is is something else?


    Then, the moment our gazes meet, he abruptly steps away from the window and disappears from view.


    A flush creeps over my skin, a mix of embarrassment and curiosity. It must be odd for him to see me


    wandering around the garden, the ex-Luna now an unexpected visitor in her former home. How many


    people here still believe that I cheated on Karl with the gardener?


    I shake my head, trying to dispel the uneasy feeling that settles in my gut. Surely he was just surprised


    to see me. After all, I doubt Karl made a big announcement about my return. I just hope that he at least


    dispelled the theory about my nonexistent infidelity.


    Deciding it’s time to go back inside, I take onest look around the garden, breathing in deeply to


    steady myself. Then, I make my way back towards the house. Just as I reach the patio door, it swings


    open, and there stands Elsie, one of the maids I had always been close to.


    “Abby!” Her eyes light up, and before I know it, I’m wrapped in a warm, affectionate hug.


    “Elsie, it’s so good to see you,” I murmur, returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm.


    “You look amazing,” she exims, pulling back to look at me. “Is life outside treating you well?”


    Iugh. “As well as it can, I guess.”


    A moment of silence hangs in the air before she finally asks the question that I’ve been dreading. “So…


    Are you and Karl…” Her words trail off, but her implication is clear.


    My cheeks flush a deep red. “No, no, nothing like that,” I assure her. “We’re just friends. He invited me


    to visit, that’s all.”


    Her lips curl into a knowing smirk, and I instantly regret my choice of words. But instead of making a


    The subtext is as clear as daylight. In her eyes, Karl and I could never just be “friends”. And as much


    as I’d like to deny it, a part of me wonders if she’s right.


    “Thanks, Elsie,” I say softly. “It’s good to be back.”


    With that, I make my way back into the house, each step carrying a different weight, a different


    emotion. As I reach the top of the staircase, I hear Karl’s voice drifting from the living room, and my


    heart does a strange little leap. Maybe Elsie’s smirk held more truth than I’d like to admit.


    Just then, I hear the familiar ping of my phone and my thoughts snap back to the present. Reluctantly, I


    pull it from my pocket and see a message from Ethan. He’s asking a question about inventory, and I


    know that I should let it wait until I get home. But before I know it, I’m typing out a reply, unable to resist


    the urge to be a boss for five minutes.


    I’m halfway through responding when the sound of footsteps approaches behind me. “Ahem.”


    Startled, I whip around to see Karl standing on the step below me. He has a knowing look on his face,


    and a sparkle in his eye.


    He moves closer, and for a split second, I’m transported back to a time when this was an everyday


    urrence.


    “You’re not working, are you?” he asks, gesturing to the phone in my hand. “You’re supposed to be


    enjoying the weekend off.”


    With an embarrassed shrug, I avert my gaze. “Maybe a little.”


    Karl reaches for my phone, gently taking it from me. “Abby, Ethan and the restaurant will survive just


    fine without you for a couple of days. Just try to rx. Please.”


    I look at him, partly exasperated but mostly grateful. He always had a knack for cutting through my


    excuses. “Okay, okay. No more work. I get it.”


    A smile brightens his face, and it’s a smile I’ve missed more than I care to admit. “Well, look,” he says,


    “I just finished up a couple of things here, and now I’m free until my meeting. How about some coffee at


    that cafe you used to love?”


    …


    The cafe hasn’t changed much since I wasst here three years ago.


    The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, mingled with theforting scents of baked goods.


    Even the barista seems to remember us, shooting a discreet, knowing look our way.


    Karl orders our drinks—ck coffee for him and a hazelnuttte for me, just like old times—and we


    decide to take them to go. Stepping out, we make our way to the nearby park where I used to lose


    myself in books and Karl asionally joined me, pretending to read but really just watching the birds.


    That was before he started spending too much time as an Alpha, and leaving little time for me. For us.


    “It’s… Just as I remember it,” I say, taking a sip of mytte as we walk along the stone pathway.


    He smiles. “Some things never change.”


    But some things do. Like us. Like me. And yet, the more we walk, the more the lines blur. The trees are


    still tall and majestic, the air is fresh, and the world around us feels like it’s stuck in a time capsule—a


    snapshot of our happier past.


    Suddenly, Karl nudges me. “Don’t look now, but I think we’ve got some fans.”


    I nce sideways to see a couple pointing discreetly at us. A young woman approaches, cautiously but


    curiously. “Alpha Karl!” she greets, her gaze sliding over to me. “And… Luna Abby…?”


    Luna. The word catches me off guard. It’s been ages since I’ve been addressed that way.


    Karl offers the woman a polite smile. Much to my surprise, he doesn’t correct her on the title she’s


    given me. “Is there something I can do for you?”


    “Oh, no, just wondering if... are you two back together?” she blurts out, her eyes bright with hope—or


    maybe it’s curiosity.


    “We’re just spending some time together,” I jump in before Karl can answer, feeling a blush creep up


    my cheeks. “Friendly visit.”


    The woman nods, a little disappointed perhaps, but she backs away with another nod and smile. “Oh.


    Well… It’s good to see you, Luna.”


    As we continue our walk, the woman’s words hang in the air between us. I was Luna once, and a part


    of me misses it—the sense ofmunity, the responsibility, and, if I’m honest, the connection it


    signified between Karl and me.


    “Sorry about that,” Karl finally says, breaking the silence. “People never really got over you, you know.


    Not that I can me them.”


    A blush creeps into my cheeks, and it’s all I can do to look away before Karl notices. “It’s fine,” I lie,


    taking a sip of mytte. “It’s perfectly fine.”