Raven's POV – Later That Day
The silence between them was unbearable. Raven barely managed to keep her composure as she watched Aurelio walk away, his footsteps growing distant with every passing second. It felt as though the walls around her were closing in tighter, suffocating her, but there was nowhere to escape.
Her breath was shaky as she leaned against the wall, trying to steady herself. Her mind kept racing—thoughts of Aurelio, of the past, of Luna, each one colliding into the other like pieces of a puzzle she couldn't solve.
How had it all come to this? She had spent so many years running, hiding, convincing herself that her choices had been right. That the only way to protect Luna was to keep Aurelio away.
But now, everything had unraveled. He knew. The truth was out, and there was no going back.
Raven closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her forehead. She had to talk to him. She couldn't let this hang in the air, unresolved. But how could she? How could she possibly explain all the years of hurt, of pain, of fear that had kept her silent?
The sound "f a knock at the door broke her from her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to see Isabella standing in the doorway.
"You okay?" Isabella asked quietly, her voice soft but filled with concern. Raven tried to smile, but it came out weak and strained.
"I… I don't know," she admitted, stepping away from the wall. "Everything's falling apart, Isa. I didn't want him to know. I didn't want anyone to know."
Isabella walked into the room, closing the door behind her and standing beside Raven. "I know you did what you thought was best. But this… this has gone on long enough. You can't hide from him forever, Raven. He has a right to know. Luna has a right to know."
Raven sighed heavily, feeling the weight of her sister's words settle over her. She hadn't wanted to drag anyone into this mess. But now that the truth had come to light, there was no escaping the consequences.
"I just don't know how to fix it," Raven whispered. "What if I've already ruined everything?"
Isabella gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You haven't ruined anything. You just have to face it. Face him. Face Luna."
Raven's eyes brimmed with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't break down now—not with everything at stake.
"I have to see him again," she said, her voice firm, despite the doubt that clouded her mind. "I have to make him understand."
Isabella nodded. "I'll be here if you need me."
Aurelio's POV – At the Office
Aurelio sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping restlessly against the wood. He couldn't focus. Every thought seemed to circle back to Raven. Her words, her gaze, her pain. They were etched into his mind, refusing to be ignored.
The encounter had shaken him more than he cared to admit. He had always been a man of control, of power, but when it came to Raven… he felt as though he were losing his grip.
He kept seeing her face—the way her eyes had filled with tears, the way her voice had cracked with emotion. It made something inside him twist, a strange combination of anger, desire, and a deep, aching longing.
Why did she keep this from me? The question kept repeating in his mind, each time more urgent than the last. He had a right to know. He had a right to his daughter.
He couldn't help but think of Luna. His daughter. A girl he didn't even know. He should've been there for her. He should've been a father.
His phone buzzed, breaking his thoughts. He picked it up without looking at the screen, already knowing who it was.
"Isabella," he answered, his voice rough.
"You need to talk to Raven," Isabella's voice was firm but concerned. "This thing between you two—it's not over. You need to hear her out. She's struggling."
Aurelio sighed, his hand running through his hair. "I don't know what to say to her, Isa. She lied to me. She kept Luna from me. How am I supposed to just forgive that?"
Isabella paused before responding. "I'm not asking you to forgive her right away. But if you really want to understand, you have to give her a chance to explain. She's been through more than you know, Aurelio. She's been carrying this burden on her own for six years."
Aurelio's grip on the phone tightened. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear how much Raven had suffered. But deep down, a part of him knew that Isabella was right.
"I'll think about it," he muttered, before ending the call.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, the weight of the situation pressing on him like a physical force. He couldn't shake the image of Luna. The thought of her, of what she must've gone through without him, gnawed at his insides.
He wasn't ready to forgive Raven—not yet. But he couldn't just walk away from this.
Not when he had a daughter to find.
Luna's POV – That Night
Luna lay in her bed, the covers pulled up tightly around her. Her mind was racing, too many questions spinning around in her head, making it impossible to fall asleep. She had tried to ignore the way her mom had looked at the man earlier, tried to push away the sense of recognition she had felt when she heard his voice.
But now, lying in the quiet of her room, she couldn't ignore it any longer. That man—he had sounded angry, but also… sad. Like he was lost, just like her mom.
Luna turned on her side, hugging her stuffed bear to her chest. She had never asked her mom about her dad. She had always figured it wasn't important, that maybe she didn't need him. But now, after hearing those voices, seeing the way her mom had reacted, she wasn't so sure.
Was he her father? Was that why her mom had always seemed so sad when Luna asked about him?
And if he was her father, what did that mean? Would he want her now that he knew about her?
Luna bit her lip, her thoughts swirling. She had so many questions, but no answers. And the biggest question of all lingered in her mind: Would he want to be part of her life?
The thought made her stomach twist, but there was no way she could avoid it now. Tomorrow, everything would change. She just didn't know how yet.
Raven's POV – Later That Day
The silence that filled the room was suffocating. Raven couldn't remember the last time she had felt this lost, this exposed. The words she had said to Aurelio—truths she never thought would surface—hung in the air like an unbearable weight. She should have been ready for this, for the moment when everything came crashing down.
She leaned against the cold wall, her fingers trembling as they grazed the rough surface. Her chest tightened, and she took in a shallow breath, trying to steady herself.
Why did it have to come to this?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Raven's heart skipped a beat, her mind whirling with possibilities. Was it Aurelio coming back? To yell at her? To demand answers she wasn't ready to give?
But when she opened the door, it was Isabella standing there, her expression unreadable, but with a trace of worry in her eyes.
"Raven…" Isabella said softly, stepping into the room without waiting for an invitation. She always had that kind of authority, a presence that was impossible to ignore. She was the calm to Raven's storm, the rock that kept her grounded even in the darkest of times.
"I can't do this," Raven whispered, her voice cracked with emotion. She stepped away from the door and sank onto the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands. "I never wanted him to know. I never wanted him to find out about Luna. It was the only way to keep her safe, Isa. If Aurelio knew… if anyone knew—"
Isabella sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders. "You did what you thought was right, Raven. But you're not alone in this. Luna deserves to know her father, and Aurelio deserves the truth. You can't keep running forever."
The words stung. Raven didn't want to admit it, but deep down, she knew Isabella was right. The truth had a way of breaking through walls, no matter how thick they were. And now, there was nowhere to hide. No more pretending. No more running.
"I just don't know how to face him," Raven whispered, shaking her head. The thought of standing in front of Aurelio again, looking him in the eyes after everything that had happened… it felt impossible. "What if he hates me? What if he can't forgive me for keeping Luna from him?"
Isabella squeezed her shoulder, her touch a small comfort in the storm raging inside Raven. "He's angry, yes. And hurt. But he's also confused. And when the shock wears off, when he has time to think about it, he'll want to understand. He's not the same man you knew all those years ago."
Raven let out a bitter laugh, her head falling back as she stared at the ceiling. "I don't know if I can even recognize the man he's become, Isa. I just— I don't know what to do anymore."
"You talk to him. You tell him everything. And you tell him about Luna," Isabella said, her voice steady and unwavering. "You owe him that much."
The thought of facing Aurelio, of telling him the whole truth, made Raven's stomach churn. But she knew Isabella was right. No more running. No more pretending.
She wiped her eyes, trying to pull herself together. "I'll do it. I have to do it. But not yet."
Isabella raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Not yet? What are you waiting for?"
Raven stood up and began pacing, her thoughts still a chaotic mess. "I need to make sure Luna's okay. I need to figure out how to explain this to her first. She's only six, Isa. I don't want to overwhelm her."
Isabella stood up, her expression softening as she stepped closer. "You'll figure it out. You always do. Just take it one step at a time."
Raven nodded, grateful for her sister's constant support, but she couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out. How long could she keep putting off the inevitable?
Aurelio's POV – At the Office
Aurelio's fingers gripped the edge of his desk, his thoughts a tangled mess. He had tried to focus on work, to drown out the image of Raven's tear-streaked face, but every time he closed his eyes, she was there. Her voice. The way she had looked at him with that mix of pain and regret.
The more he thought about It, the angrier he became. How could she have kept this from him for so long? How could she have lied, hidden their daughter from him, when all he had ever wanted was to know the truth?
He thought of Luna again—the girl he had never known, the child that was his flesh and blood. The realization that she had been out there all these years, without him, without his protection… it felt like a gut punch.
Aurelio ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts spiraling. Why didn't she tell me? He had to know. He needed answers.
I deserve answers.
He picked up the phone, his fingers hovering over the number for his sister, Isabella. The conversation they'd had earlier echoed in his mind, but he wasn't sure what he was hoping to hear from her.
"Hello?" Isabella's voice crackled through the line.
"Isa, I need to talk to you about Raven," Aurelio said, his voice rough, more tense than he intended.
There was a pause before she spoke again, quieter this time. "Aurelio, you need to give her space. She's been carrying this weight for so long, and she's terrified of you finding out the truth. But you need to be patient."
"I'm not angry with her, Isa. I'm confused. I need her to explain. I need her to tell me why she kept Luna from me," Aurelio's voice hardened, frustration building. "I can't just let this go. I can't let her keep doing this. Not anymore."
Isabella sighed, her voice gentle. "She's not the same woman you remember, Aurelio. She's changed. She's been through a lot. And it's not easy for her to talk about it."
Aurelio stood up abruptly, pacing the length of his office. "I don't care about the past. I care about now. I need to know what happened. Why she never told me. Why she kept Luna from me."
"She was protecting you, Aurelio," Isabella said, her words careful. "She thought you would hate her. She thought you would blame her. But all she's ever wanted was for you to be safe, for Luna to be safe."
Aurelio's heart skipped a beat at her words. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. But deep down, he felt it—the guilt, the confusion, the fear that perhaps he had been too harsh on Raven. Too quick to judge.
"Just… just give her a chance, Aurelio," Isabella urged. "Please."
"I will," Aurelio replied, his voice low. "But I need to know everything."
Luna's POV – That Night
Luna lay in her bed, wide awake, her eyes staring at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about the man who had come to the house earlier. She had never seen her mom react that way—so scared, so… unsure.
She didn't understand. Who was that man? And why did he make her mom cry? She had heard bits and pieces of their conversation, but there was still so much she didn't know.
The only thing she could think about was what her mom had said earlier—I never wanted him to know. But why?
Luna hugged her stuffed bear tighter to her chest, wishing she could just ask her mom. But she was afraid. Afraid of the answers she might get. Afraid that maybe her mom was hiding things from her.
But Luna couldn't stay in the dark forever.
With a sigh, she rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to block out the questions that had been swirling in her head all day. But the truth was out there. Somewhere. And one day, she would find it.