Chapter 0126


    “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


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    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.”