Abandoned Luna: Now Untouchable-Chapter 369 Dark at Midnight

Cecilia ’s pov

Dinner finally ended, and somehow, I managed to slip out of the room without drawing attention.

I just said "Thanks" to Daisy and nodded at Sebastian.

My brain was still spinning in ten different directions, but I didn’t let it show.

The second I hit the hallway, I could breathe again.

The house was too big. Too still.

I just wanted four solid walls, a working lock, and no one watching.

So I headed upstairs and shut the door behind me.

Less than ten minutes later, there was a knock.

I froze.

But it wasn’t trouble. Just the butler, polite as ever, holding out a brand-new phone.

"From Alpha Sebastian," he said quietly. "He thought you might want to stay connected tonight."

Honestly, I needed it.

My old phone got wrecked during the whole psychedelic cake fiasco.

I took it with a soft "Thanks" and set it on the nightstand.

I was about to sit down when Harper knocked once and peeked in.

"Just checking if you’re still alive," she said, yawning so hard she nearly folded in half.

Without waiting for an invite, she wandered in and flopped onto the edge of my bed.

"Not to be dramatic," she mumbled, "but if I don’t pass out now, I’ll be a zombie at breakfast."

I cracked a tired smile.

"If the wolves start howling, I’ll let you sleep through it."

She gave me a lazy thumbs-up, already half asleep.

"You’re the best, Cece."

Then she stood up with a groan and padded back toward her room.

"Night," I called after her as she disappeared down the hall.

Tang and Sawyer were both stationed just a few doors away.

That should’ve made me feel safe.

But old instincts die hard.

Before I got into bed, I checked the windows. Locked the door. Twice.

Some habits don’t fade, especially when you’ve lived in a world where trust could get you killed.

I couldn’t sleep.

My mind kept going in circles.

I kept seeing that little girl curled up on Sebastian’s lap.

Daisy being a little too polite.

The way they looked at each other across the table. Quiet. Sharp. Hard to read.

Maybe I was being paranoid.

But at least the door was locked tonight.

--

12:45 a.m.

The new phone buzzed so hard it nearly knocked over the glass of water on my nightstand.

I jolted awake, the dream still clinging to me like static.

One notification lit up the screen.

Sender: Harper.

Message:[ Get out NOW. If you move quick you still have a shot! Don’t wait! GO!]

Adrenaline hit like a punch to the chest. My body went full alert.

Harper didn’t do drama. She didn’t do caps.

If she texted like that, something was seriously wrong.

I called her back instantly.

Declined. Straight to voicemail.

Weird.

My heart was pounding.

I called Tang. Then Sawyer. Nothing. No ring, no answer.

I tried Sebastian next.

Tapped his name. Nothing. Not even a dial tone. Just silence.

This was bad.

Too many red flags.

I kicked off the covers and swung my legs out of bed.

Barefoot, I walked to the door and reached for the handle.

Then I stopped.

Something wasn’t right.

This panic didn’t feel real. It felt... planted.

I backed away and looked at the message again.

[Get out NOW.]

Harper’s room was five steps from mine. If she was in danger, she’d bang on my door or drag me out herself. Not fire off a text and hope for the best.

My stomach turned. It didn’t add up.

Was I being paranoid, or was something actually wrong ?

Then another message popped up.

[I’m outside the main gate. If you don’t come now, it’ll be too late.]

I gripped the phone tighter and pulled back the curtain.

The moonlit yard looked untouched. Quiet. Too quiet.

No Harper. No movement. Not even wind.

And if she really left her room, there’s no way she wouldn’t stop here first.

It was too smooth. Too scripted.

Then more texts came in. They got faster, meaner, and way more aggressive.

[Are you deaf or just stupid ? You WANT to get hurt ?

Cece, what is wrong with you, MOVE!]

My spine locked.

The tone was all wrong. That wasn’t Harper.

I typed back:

[Should I wear the white dress or the pink pants for this escape ?]

Silence. Half a minute. Maybe more.

Then a reply, fast and furious:

[Who cares ?! Just get outside, NOW!]

I didn’t hesitate.

[No outfit, no rescue. I’m staying right here. So pick one. Pastel or classic ?]

The reply came in fast.

[You never packed a white dress or pink pants. Stop it, Cece. This isn’t funny.]

I smiled. Gotcha.

I walked to the closet, grabbed both pieces, took a photo, and hit send. Then I switched the phone to silent and dropped it on the nightstand.

Let the messages come. I didn’t read a single one.

My heartbeat finally slowed.

I’d believed it at first. The fear. The urgency. I almost ran.

But the longer I watched, the more it fell apart.

Whoever this was, it sure as hell wasn’t Harper.

The adrenaline faded, and all that was left was pure exhaustion.

I didn’t sleep. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Listening to every creak in the floor.

Waiting for the light to come through the window.

--

Morning.

A knock broke the silence.

I dragged myself out of bed, my face tight from no sleep.

"Who is it ?" My voice came out rough.

"Tang. It’s me."

His tone was steady, no walls up. Just him.

I unlocked the door.

He took one look at me and went pale.

"Cece, you look like hell. You pull an all-nighter ?"

I didn’t bother with sarcasm.

"I called you last night. A bunch of times. Why didn’t you answer ?"

He frowned, scrolling through his phone.

"I’ve got nothing from you. No missed calls, no voicemails."

Exactly what I expected.

I didn’t even react.

I turned and walked next door. Knocked.

Harper opened the door, hair everywhere like she’d been electrocuted in her sleep.

"Damn, Cece. Did you sleep at all ? You look wrecked... wait, are you okay ?"

Sawyer appeared behind her, sleepy but alert.

The three of us ended up clustered under the hallway chandelier, like an accidental war council.

I told them everything. The fake texts. The dropped calls. The white-dress trap.

Harper’s face shifted from confused to horrified.

"Wait. You’re saying someone pretended to be me ? On a phone Alpha Sebastian supposedly gave you ?"

I nodded, holding up the device.

"The butler brought it after dinner. Said it was from Sebastian."

Harper rubbed her forehead.

"I think I saw someone like that when I was heading to your room. Looked like a butler. I remember now."

Tang muttered, "Give me a sec. I’ll link with him." He didn’t move, just stared ahead for a second.

A minute passed.His face had changed.

"Daisy rushed to Sebastian last night. Riley had a fever. He stayed with them most of the night."

He says he never gave you a phone. He’s on his way now."

Harper’s brow shot up.

"And the kid just happened to get sick during the exact window someone tried to lure Cece out ? That’s a little too convenient."

Sawyer tried to play skeptic.

"Come on. Kids get fevers. It happens."

Harper gave him a look.

"Sure. And my barista draws hearts in my latte by accident every morning. This was planned, Sawyer."

"If Riley hadn’t gotten sick, Sebastian probably would’ve checked in. This was about keeping him distracted."

I kept my voice low. Cold.

"If Maggie can pull this off in Denver, imagine what they can do on home turf. Colorado Springs is her playground. Who knows how many strings she can pull here ?"

Sawyer opened his mouth, but heavy footsteps cut him off.

Sebastian appeared at the end of the hall.

Tension rolled off him like heat. His eyes locked on mine.

"Riley’s fever broke."

He didn’t slow down.

"Where’s the phone ?"

I handed it over without a word.

Daisy showed up a few seconds later. Still in her robe. Pale, but calm.

She spoke softly, a little too quickly.

"Cecilia , I just heard. Did something happen last night ? Are you alright ?"

"Fine," I said.