Page 23 of Cage the Storm
That’s what irritates me the most.
It’s not Luna I’m angry at, it’s me. I let Mateo send those pictures. I told myself it was necessary, that the timing was perfect. Now, I’m snapping at her, questioning her authority, acting like she’s the problem, when I’m the one who crossed the line. And if she ever finds out, I don’t know what that truth will do to us.
“Then prove it,” I say finally. “Make it clear that when I trust you with something, I don’t have to step in. Because trust isn’t given, Luna, it’s earned. And if you want your authority here to mean something, that starts now.”
I watch her absorb my words, weighing them against everything she already knows about me. She’s always been good at reading between the lines, and I suspect she understands that this is less an admission and more a challenge.
One she won’t walk away from.
I hear Mateo behind me, the measured pace of his footsteps cutting through the quiet hum of the house. He moves with just enough urgency to signal that whatever he’s about to say isn’t something I can ignore.
His expression is unreadable when he appears beside me, but I know him too well to be fooled. The brief flick of his gaze toward Luna tells me we need to talk in private. Whatever this is, it’s not something he wants to discuss in front of her.
I turn to Luna, leaving no room for argument. “We’ll continue this later,” I say, dismissing her.
Without another word, I glance back at Mateo and step away, leading him down the hall where prying ears won’t reach us. Whatever this is, it requires discretion.
And I intend to get answers.
As I step into my office, I lean against my desk and give him the floor.
“Luna asked about the basement,” Mateo says. “She’s noticed the servants coming and going, and she’s curious. I thought you’d want to know.”
I was expecting Mateo to bring up the fallout from the pictures, not this. Not Luna. I pinch the bridge of my nose, hoping to relieve this damn headache. “Did you give her an answer?”
“I told her not to ask questions she doesn’t want the answers to,” Mateo replies. “But she won’t let it go. She’s being very persistent.”
“Keep an eye on her; if she keeps pushing, I want to know before it becomes a problem.” She should have come to me with her questions, not Mateo.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LUNA
Sophie findsme in the sitting room as she carries a tray of tea. She has an uncanny ability to read my mood, even before I speak, and today is no exception. Without a word, she sets the tray on the small table by the window.
“You’re tense,” she says, as she sits in the chair across from me. Sophie doesn’t do small talk, which is why we get along so well.
“It’s been a long day,” I reply, leaning back against the cushions. “Nico doesn’t make anything easy, does he?”
She smiles, carefully pouring the tea. “I imagine that’s part of his charm,” she teases, but there’s an understanding beneath the humor. Sophie has seen more of my life than anyone else, and she doesn’t need me to explain the nuances of navigating Nico’s world.
“Charm,” I echo dryly, taking the offered cup. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
Sophie studies me momentarily, her perceptive gaze taking in every detail—every emotion I try to keep buried. “You’ve held your own today,” she says. “He might not show it, but I think he respects that more than he lets on.”
“Respect isn’t enough,” I say. “Not here. I need more than just his approval. I need his trust.”
“And you’ll get it. You don’t wait for things to be handed to you, Luna. You take them.”
Her words soothe me in a way few people can. Sophie has never just been my assistant. She’s my ally and the one person I can count on in a house full of wavering loyalties.
“You know me too well,” I say, trying to hide the smile tugging at the corner of my lips.
“Someone has to,” she counters, returning the smile. “Besides, you need someone to remind you how far you’ve come.”
For a moment, the seriousness of the day feels a bit lighter. Sophie doesn’t push or prod; she simply reminds me of who I am and my capabilities. And as I take another sip of tea, I realize it’s exactly what I needed today.
“You feel trapped here,” she confirms. “I know that look. How your shoulders tense whenever someone tells you what to do.”
