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Chapter 42

Author: SassyEmpress
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-27 23:27:02

Luna

"So you told Jason you and Hardin are friends," Rachel said, her voice dripping with disbelief.

I sighed, stabbing my fork into the pie on my tray. The hospice cafeteria buzzed quietly around us, but it felt like all the noise faded as Rachel stared me down.

"I couldn't think of anything else to say," I mumbled, taking a bite and trying not to meet her eyes. The flaky crust crumbled on my tongue, but it tasted like guilt. "I can't just... tell Jason the real deal."

Rachel let out a breath, leaning back in her chair. "You realize that's going to blow up eventually, right?"

I knew it. God, I knew it.

But what was I supposed to do? Tell my boyfriend that I married someone else out of desperation, tied myself to Hardin in the most reckless way possible, and now couldn’t figure out where the hell my heart was?

Yeah, that would go well.

"I’m just buying time," I said quietly, pushing the pie around my plate. "I need to figure things out first."

Rachel gave me a long look, like she want
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    LunaIt took me a moment to process his words. My heart was pounding in my chest. The next moment, I found my voice, though it came out colder than I had intended."I'm not yours, Hardin," I said, my eyes locking with his. "We both know this."His expression didn't falter, but I could see the flicker of something in his eyes—something dark, something stubborn. He wasn’t willing to back down. And somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to back down either."I don’t want to be committed to someone who lies," I added, my voice steady, though the words felt heavier than I had anticipated.Hardin’s gaze never left mine, but his jaw tightened. He took a step closer more to me, closing the space that had been between us, his presence demanding. "When have I ever lied to you?" His voice was low, almost a challenge, but there was something else beneath it—something I couldn’t quite place.I let out a bitter chuckle, a small, humorless sound. It was almost as if I couldn’t help it. "You want me to lis

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  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 44

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    LunaThe door to the director’s office closed behind Hardin with a dull thud, and I found myself standing there, staring at the polished wood like I could somehow hear what was going on inside.My pulse hadn’t settled since he walked in. No one said a word to me, but I could feel their eyes on my back. The whispers, the curious glances—none of it mattered. Not right now.What mattered was why Hardin showed up looking that intense. What had brought him here so suddenly?I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to steady the storm swirling inside me. I should’ve been used to it by now—Hardin’s unpredictability, the way he moved through the world like a force of nature—but I wasn’t. Every time he stepped into a room, he pulled my focus, my breath, my entire sense of calm.“Still think those black cars were just here for a patient?” Rachel asked as she walked.up to me her tone quiet but pointed.I glanced at her. “I don’t know. Maybe something came up with the investment deal. Or m

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    Luna"Mr. Jenkins breathing has worsened," I told Dr. Morris as we hurried down the dimly lit hospice hallway. "He's struggling to catch his breath, and his oxygen saturation is dropping."Dr. Morris gave a short nod. "Was there any sign of distress earlier?""He mentioned mild discomfort, but it escalated fast. His daughter is with him—she's panicking."We reached Room 214, and the moment I pushed the door open, the sound of ragged, labored breathing filled the space.Mr. Jenkins lay against his pillows, his chest rising and falling erratically, his face pale and clammy. His daughter sat at his bedside, her fingers clutching his frail hand. Tears streaked her cheeks."Dad, hold on," she pleaded. "Please, just hold on."I moved swiftly to his side. "Mr. Jenkins, it's Luna. We're going to help you, okay?"His weak gaze met mine, his lips parted as he tried to speak—but only a wheeze came out."Let's get him more comfortable," Dr. Morris said. "Luna, increase his oxygen and check his m

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  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 2

    HardinI woke up in her damn house. A place I never should've let myself be dragged to, but here I am. The scent of antiseptic still lingered in the air, mixing with something faintly sweet. Luna.I've never heard of someone named Luna before. Her name sounds unique. I blinked against the fog in my head, my body heavy and aching. I can barely move my arm without it feeling like it's on fire. The wound—shit, I can still feel it. The pain is nothing new. I've seen worse. Been through worse. But it's different when you're not the one in control.The memory of how I ended up here hits me in fragments. A bullet in the shoulder—clean shot. At least that's what I thought. But it wasn't the bullet that did the real damage. No, it was the fucking knife that came after. A reminder from someone I used to trust. Someone I thought I could count on.The bastard betrayed me.I ran. I knew I couldn't stay in the warehouse. My men were compromised. The bastard men were closing in. I barely made it ou

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Latest chapter

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 48

    LunaThe door to the director’s office closed behind Hardin with a dull thud, and I found myself standing there, staring at the polished wood like I could somehow hear what was going on inside.My pulse hadn’t settled since he walked in. No one said a word to me, but I could feel their eyes on my back. The whispers, the curious glances—none of it mattered. Not right now.What mattered was why Hardin showed up looking that intense. What had brought him here so suddenly?I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to steady the storm swirling inside me. I should’ve been used to it by now—Hardin’s unpredictability, the way he moved through the world like a force of nature—but I wasn’t. Every time he stepped into a room, he pulled my focus, my breath, my entire sense of calm.“Still think those black cars were just here for a patient?” Rachel asked as she walked.up to me her tone quiet but pointed.I glanced at her. “I don’t know. Maybe something came up with the investment deal. Or m

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  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 46

    LunaI didn’t know how we made it back to the house. I didn’t remember the drive or even stepping through the front door. All I knew was that Hardin’s mouth was on mine and my hands were in his hair, tugging him closer like I couldn’t get enough of him—and I couldn’t.By the time he kicked the front door shut behind us, I was already wrapped around him, my legs locked around his waist, my arms clinging to his shoulders like he was the only thing holding me together.His lips crushed mine in a way that was both desperate and tender, like he was trying to pour every unspoken word into the kiss. My back hit the wall with a soft thud, but I barely registered it. All I could feel was him—his hands gripping my thighs, the hard lines of his body pressed against mine, the way he kissed like he needed me just as badly as I needed him.“Fuck,” he groaned into my mouth, pulling back just long enough to meet my eyes. His voice was hoarse, raw with emotion. “You don’t even know what you do to me.”

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 45

    LunaNot even a single message. Not a call.Nothing.I hugged my arms tighter around myself, wondering how I'd been so foolish to let it bother me. Wasn’t this what I wanted?Space? Distance?Yet here I was, checking my phone like some lovesick fool, hoping—needing—to see his name light up my screen. It never did.I told Rachel I was fine. I even forced a laugh or two at dinner, pretending like my heart wasn’t breaking inside my chest. But the truth was, I wasn’t okay.Not even close. I didn't know it will bother me this much.While Rachel slept soundly, I stared at the ceiling all night. My mind an endless reel of everything that had gone wrong.How my life had flipped the night I found him—Hardin—wounded and bleeding, desperate for help.How, maybe if I hadn’t been so generous, so stupidly kind, I would’ve still been with Jason, planning our future like any normal couple.Instead, I betrayed a good man. A man who loved me with pure intentions.And worse—I fell for the one man I shoul

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 44

    HardinI was fucking angry.This isn’t how any of this was supposed to turn out. I sat there in the middle of the room, still trying to make sense of it—still trying to fucking breathe through the fact that Luna had walked out on me with tears in her eyes.The same eyes that used to look at me like I was worth something. Now all they held was disappointment.I gritted my teeth, my fists clenching at my sides.How the hell did it get to this?My phone buzzed on the nightstand, Theo’s name flashing on the screen. Perfect. Just fucking perfect.I swiped to answer, “What?”Theo didn’t waste time.“We’ve got a problem," he said. "One of the guys used our name to carry out a job for a private client. Went completely rogue."I closed my eyes, willing myself to stay calm. But the rage was bubbling, unstoppable."Who?" "Markus," Theo said. "We just got the intel. You want me to handle it?"I stood up so fast."I’m coming over. Don't do a damn thing until I get there."I ended the call and stalke

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 43

    LunaIt took me a moment to process his words. My heart was pounding in my chest. The next moment, I found my voice, though it came out colder than I had intended."I'm not yours, Hardin," I said, my eyes locking with his. "We both know this."His expression didn't falter, but I could see the flicker of something in his eyes—something dark, something stubborn. He wasn’t willing to back down. And somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to back down either."I don’t want to be committed to someone who lies," I added, my voice steady, though the words felt heavier than I had anticipated.Hardin’s gaze never left mine, but his jaw tightened. He took a step closer more to me, closing the space that had been between us, his presence demanding. "When have I ever lied to you?" His voice was low, almost a challenge, but there was something else beneath it—something I couldn’t quite place.I let out a bitter chuckle, a small, humorless sound. It was almost as if I couldn’t help it. "You want me to lis

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 42

    Luna"So you told Jason you and Hardin are friends," Rachel said, her voice dripping with disbelief.I sighed, stabbing my fork into the pie on my tray. The hospice cafeteria buzzed quietly around us, but it felt like all the noise faded as Rachel stared me down."I couldn't think of anything else to say," I mumbled, taking a bite and trying not to meet her eyes. The flaky crust crumbled on my tongue, but it tasted like guilt. "I can't just... tell Jason the real deal."Rachel let out a breath, leaning back in her chair. "You realize that's going to blow up eventually, right?"I knew it. God, I knew it.But what was I supposed to do? Tell my boyfriend that I married someone else out of desperation, tied myself to Hardin in the most reckless way possible, and now couldn’t figure out where the hell my heart was?Yeah, that would go well."I’m just buying time," I said quietly, pushing the pie around my plate. "I need to figure things out first."Rachel gave me a long look, like she want

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 41

    HardinI couldn’t explain what I was feeling. Bitterness clawed its way up my chest, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.He’s just a friend. Luna’s words kept replaying in my head like a broken damn record.Friend. After everything. After the way I’ve been dragging my soul bare for her, the way I’ve been trying—hell, the way I feel about her.And she introduced me like I was nothing.And the worst part? She left with that asshole.Walked right past me without a second look, like I didn’t even exist.I sat there, leaning forward on the edge of the couch. My fingers locked together so tight they ached. I stared at the front door, waiting.For what, exactly? I didn’t know.For her to come back and fix it, maybe.For her to make it make sense.The front door clicked open. My head snapped up. Luna stepped in, hesitating for a second when her eyes met mine.She shut the door quietly behind her.Took a breath.“So we’re friends now?” I asked.failing—to hold back the bitterness biting at every w

  • Bound To The Kingpin   Chapter 40

    Luna I adjusted the chart in my hand, explaining the patient’s vitals to Dr. Ramirez, who nodded along as he listened carefully.“Her blood pressure has stabilized to 120/80, and her heart rate is within normal limits,” I said, flipping the page. “We’ve also reduced her oxygen support since her last reading was strong enough to sustain her breathing on minimal aid.”Just as I was about to continue, a soft chime interrupted the flow. I muttered a quick, “Excuse me,” and slipped my phone from the pocket of my white coat.The screen lit up with a new message — Hardin.A smile crept onto my face before I could stop it.“Hope you’re not too busy, Mrs.DeVante. Thinking about you.”That man had been bombarding my phone with messages since I stepped foot into the hospice this morning. And even though I hadn’t replied to a single one, it didn’t mean I hadn’t been checking them, grinning like an idiot every time.I caught Dr. Ramirez glancing curiously at me, and quickly tucked the phone away

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