Luna barely had time to raise her hand to press the doorbell before the door to Kana's condo swung open with theatrical flair.
"You're late," Kana said, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "And your cat? Yours. I'm not dealing with his royal grumpiness a minute longer."
Luna laughed just as Milo leapt from inside the condo straight into her arms with a disgruntled mrowr, fluffing up indignantly as if scolding Luna for the entire ordeal.
"Oh, come on, Milo, you were probably pampered to death," Luna cooed, holding the cat close.
"Traitor!" Kana gasped dramatically at Milo, pointing an accusing finger. "She was curled up on my pillow this morning like she paid rent."
Luna snorted. "She probably thinks she owns all of us."
Kana stepped aside, waving Luna in. "Well, get in here, MIA expert."
As Luna stepped into the familiar comfort of Kana's place, she set Milo gently on the couch where the cat proceeded to groom himself with all the poise of a grumpy prince. Kana gestured at the couch and plopped down beside her, eyes gleaming.
"So? You said you were gonna explain the whole drama. This better be good. I want soap opera levels."
Luna grinned. "I got you. So... turns out I have a dad. A super-rich, insanely elegant, cat-loving dad."
Kana blinked. "Okay, I'm suspending disbelief until I see proof."
Luna smirked and reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope. "Thought you'd say that."
She handed it over along with a thick packet of gift cards tied with a ribbon and another small envelope. Kana opened the big one first—her eyes scanning the contents before they went comically wide. "This is... this is a year of unlimited meals at three of the most expensive restaurants in the city. Gift cards for famous luxury good shops and what the-NO WAY! SPA TREATMENT AT éLUDE!"
"Yup," Luna said, popping the 'p'.
Then Kana opened the second envelope—and froze. Inside was a key fob to one of the newest smart green-powered cars, the sleek luxury model that had just been released.
Kana looked up, silent, eyes almost comically wide.
"Luna."
"Mm?"
"Luna, why—why is there a car key in this envelope? Did you accidentally mug a billionaire?"
"It's a gift from my dad. For you. For, you know, always being there for me. And making sure I didn't lose my mind all these years."
Kana grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "YOU CANNOT JUST DROP A CAR ON SOMEONE."
Luna burst out laughing. "I didn't drop it. I handed it very gently."
"You insane, sneaky... I thought we were going to grow old and become grumpy old maids together and now you're all glammed up with generational wealth and emotional baggage!"
Luna was still laughing as Milo hopped onto the coffee table, meowing loudly like he agreed with Kana's point.
Kana finally slumped back against the couch, hand on her forehead. "Okay. Okay. Fine. You're rich, hot, and no longer a tragic ramen gremlin. I guess I don't have to worry about you dying alone anymore."
Luna wiped away a tear of laughter. "Wow, thanks for your concern."
Kana gave her a look. "I expect birthday presents to be extravagant from now on. Just saying."
"You got it," Luna said, grinning. "Private karaoke room next week?"
Kana snapped her fingers. "Done."
Still sprawled on Kana's couch with a snacking Milo lounging between them like a spoiled prince, Kana exhaled deeply and said, "So... my agency pulled me aside last week."
Luna raised a brow. "Oh?"
"They think it's time I start winding down. You know, aging out of the market, gracefully and all that bull." Kana waved a dismissive hand but couldn't hide the tension in her shoulders.
Luna frowned. "That's crap. You're stunning and still got that sharp tongue everyone loves."
Kana chuckled. "Tell that to the production heads who want fresh-faced, brainless types for bubble tea ads."
Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Then quit."
Kana blinked. "What, just like that?"
Luna nodded seriously. "You already have your Vtuber stuff, and you're actually good at it. Entertaining, unfiltered, chaotic in all the right ways. Why not focus on that?"
Kana snorted, then smirked. "You saying I should become a full-time gremlin streamer now?"
"I'm saying you have the charisma, the fanbase, and now," Luna lifted her brows, "a golden thigh to hang onto."
"Oh ho~ so you are my golden goose now?" Kana teased.
Luna leaned back smugly. "Might as well take advantage of it before fate realizes it handed me too much and takes it all back."
The two burst into laughter again, the kind only longtime friends can share—biting and bright with the ease of understanding that spanned years.
As the sun began dipping lower, Luna gathered her things and scooped Milo up into her carrier. "Alright, royal highness. Time to head back to the castle."
Kana followed her to the door. "Text me when you get home. And Luna—"
Luna looked back.
Kana gave her a small, genuine smile. "I'm glad for you. Don't let the riches dull the sass, okay?"
"You kidding? I'm upgrading my sass with a platinum filter."
They exchanged grins, and Luna left, Milo curling contentedly in her lap as the sleek green-powered car hummed quietly down the road.
As they cruised through the upscale business district, Luna leaned toward the window, idly watching the blur of designer stores and high-end restaurants. Then, something caught her eye.
A suited figure stepping gracefully out of a luxury car parked in front of one of the city's most prestigious hotels.
Her eyes narrowed.
Leroy?
Sure enough, the tall, tan young man she'd just had ramen with was now dressed sharply in a crisp black suit, his normally relaxed expression sharpened into professional neutrality.
He moved with purpose, flanked by staff, as he opened the car door for a well-known actress—a celebrity Luna had seen in countless commercials and dramas.
Leroy dipped his head slightly, clearly in some formal role.
Luna blinked. "Huh… what are you, exactly?"
Her gaze lingered a moment longer before the car took a turn, taking the scene out of view.
She looked down at Milo. "Do you think he's a bodyguard? Or... something weirder?"
Milo yawned.
Luna leaned back into her seat, a thoughtful frown settling across her face.
"Guess I'll have to ask next time."
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The clink of glasses echoed softly in the penthouse suite of the luxurious high-rise hotel. Moonlight filtered in through the glass windows, illuminating the man who now sat in silence by the floor-to-ceiling window.
Gone was the casual, ramen-eating, worrywart Leroy. In his place sat Noir—his real name—draped in black, a sleek firearm holstered at his side, a tablet glowing with encrypted files in his hand.
Across from him stood a woman in tailored combat gear, her arms crossed.
"It's confirmed," she said. "Someone tipped off the green powerhouse. Emmerich found her."
Noir—Leroy—clicked his tongue, a sharp edge in his voice. "So much for being top-grade confidential deals that he promised."
The woman hesitated. "You knew this would happen eventually. She's his daughter."
"I kept her safe specifically so it wouldn't," Leroy growled under his breath, tossing the tablet aside onto the leather couch. "I've been covering her trail for years. Moving her when threats popped up. Making sure she never stood out enough for him to notice."
"And yet you never told her."
"I didn't want her to see me as another manipulative bastard with an agenda." His fists clenched. "I didn't want her to think I was like my grandfather."
Shadowy organization that trained assassins, bodyguards, and military elites: The Ebon Circle.
And its leader?
His grandfather. The Guildmaster.
Noir's birthright had been a throne built on death and silence. As a child, he'd learned to kill with precision. As a teen, he learned to defy. And by twenty-one, he broke away, using his tactical brilliance to create BlackVale, a cutting-edge VR combat company.
Officially, it was a rising tech firm.
Unofficially, it doubled as a legal bodyguard syndicate that offered protection to high-profile clients without the blood contracts his grandfather dealt in.
It was how he'd stayed close to Luna without anyone in the underworld noticing.
Until now.
"She was supposed to rely on me," he muttered, his voice low, almost bitter. "Not on a man who let her grow up alone."
"She's his kid, Noir. You can't erase that."
"She was happy with what she had," he said flatly, then corrected himself. "She made it work."
The woman gave him a long look. "You kept her close, but you also kept her in the dark. That's not protection—it's control in a different skin."
Noir flinched. The words hit harder than they should've.
After a long pause, he ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "She wouldn't have accepted help if she knew who I was."
"Maybe. But she might've chosen to stay anyway."
He didn't respond.
"Now she's back with her dad. Which means the wolves will start sniffing around again. Especially if the Circle thinks Emmerich wants to pull her into his world."
"I won't let them touch her," Noir said, eyes burning with steel resolve.
"Then you better figure out where you stand—as Noir, or as Leroy. Because soon enough, Luna will find out who you really are. And when she does…"
He looked up.
"You better hope she still wants you around."
The room fell into silence again. Noir glanced back toward the city skyline, Luna's name unspoken on his lips, the light of a distant mansion blinking far on the horizon.
He'd sworn to protect her. Even if it meant she'd hate him for it.
But now that she was in her father's world—a world of power, politics, and prestige—his world would inevitably clash with hers.
And when that happened, everything he'd carefully built would come undone.