Luna sat in her office, her fingers lightly tapping the desk as she texted Arthur. She smiled while sending the message, encouraging her little brother to confess his feelings to Nora. She added that she might arrive home late due to work but promised to listen to his story when she returned. Her heart warmed at the thought of Arthur, the little boy who always clung to her side, now grown and ready to confess his love.
As she leaned back in her chair, her smile widened. Her brother was no longer a child. He is now a young man, brave enough to face his feelings. The thought spurred Luna on, filling her with a sudden burst of energy. "I'll finish my work quickly and get home to hear every detail," she muttered to herself.
Grabbing her phone, she called Emily, her trusted assistant. Emily had gone in Luna's place to a tender bidding for Nexus. Despite being the daughter of a wealthy businessman, Sam, who ran a successful investment company, Emily had never been particularly drawn to the corporate world. Even though she had attended business school with Luna, she lacked confidence in her skills and chose to work under Luna's guidance rather than take over her father's empire. It was this very desire to gain real-world experience that had made Emily the perfect ally for Luna, who preferred to operate from the shadows, keeping her identity hidden.
"Hey, Emily. How's the bidding going?" Luna asked as Emily answered the call. "Nexus is in a strong position. The competition is withdrawing left and right," Emily replied confidently, her voice bright over the speaker. Luna chuckled. "Just like we predicted."
"Only JR Corp is left in the race, but it's looking good for us," Emily added. Luna's eyes glinted with the thrill of the game. "We'll win this, just like we did against Innovators. Nexus always comes out on top."
Emily laughed, a soft but knowing sound. "You've already made Max your enemy, and now it seems you're adding JR Corp to the list."
Luna smirked. "It's just business, Emily. You know that."
As expected, Nexus won the bid. Emily stayed behind to complete the final paperwork while Luna, satisfied, prepared to end the call. But before she could, Emily spoke again.
"Steven, the CEO of JR Corp, is coming over to talk to me," Emily said, sounding slightly uneasy.
Luna frowned. "What does he want?"
"He says he has something important to discuss with you," Emily explained. "Before I finalize the tender."
"Put him on the phone," Luna ordered, her instincts sharpening.
Moments later, Steven's voice came through. "Miss Luna, you're a hard woman to reach."
"I'm busy," Luna replied coldly. "What do you want?"
Steven wasted no time. "Reject the tender, and JR Corp will take it instead."
Luna's voice hardened. "That's not going to happen. I'm not the type to back down."
A dangerous pause hung in the air before Steven spoke again, his tone dark. "You have something more important to worry about than a business deal. Your brother, Arthur—he's had an accident and he's bleeding badly."
Luna immediately tried calling Arthur, but there was no answer. Panic swelled in her chest. She quickly dialed one of the gym members, asking if Arthur was there. The gym was closed and no one had seen him. She knew then that Steven had him.
Forcing herself to stay calm, Luna called Emily back. "Withdraw from the bidding. Now."
"But—" Emily started to protest, clearly confused.
"Just do it!" Luna snapped, her voice sharp with urgency. "Return to the office immediately."
Luna wasted no time explaining what had happened once Emily was back in the office. Together they called Sam, seeking his resources and connections. Within minutes, Sam's men reported what had transpired.
"Arthur saved a child," Sam said, his voice grave. "A car was speeding towards them both, and Arthur pushed the kid out of the way. He was hit instead. Two men from the car carried him off, claiming they were taking him to the hospital."
Luna's heart clenched. "They weren't going to a hospital, were they?" Sam shook his head. "No. It was a setup. The car hit Arthur on purpose. Those men took him somewhere else. It was all orchestrated by Steven."
At that moment, the phone in Luna's office rang. Steven's voice came through, smug and calm. "Since you followed my instructions and didn't cause me any trouble, I'll tell you where Arthur is. He's lying in an isolated area, bleeding heavily. You'd better hurry if you want to save him."
Luna's blood ran cold. "You know," he continued, "he might not have much time left."
The call ended, leaving Luna with a crushing reality. For the first time in her career, she had lost—lost for the sake of Arthur. She rushed out of her office, Emily following closely behind. Time was ticking, and Luna would do whatever it took to save her brother.