Squeaky wood floors, old books lying around and expired cans of tuna sat in the pantry of LunaBaloona’s previous apartment. The occasional rat would make its way around the house, hunting for something they can feast on. The apartment was… abandoned. You could put it that way. No one would want to rent it again unless someone was willing to pay for the renovations. Who would though? The whole apartment complex was just nasty. No one cleaned up after themselves and no one seemed to have any respect for anyone. Those were just some of the many reasons why Luna was more than happy to leave after her apartment lease contract ended. Sitting in a small coffee shop not really knowing where she was, Luna decided to assess her living options. Well, her first option was to call up a friend. Did she know anyone though? She blew out a shameful breath and crossed that one out of her mind. The second option was to just sleep at a women's homeless shelter for a few days. It was definitely a cheaper option but Luna wasn't trying to escape any domestic violence from an abusive partner. Her options were very limited. She could sleep on the streets, she's been doing it for most of her life but she was tired of that now. She wanted the comfort of a soft mattress, a warm pillow to rest her head on. It's easy to dream about it. Her tired eyes scanned the streets outside. What was she going to do now? And where was she going to go? The world was passing her by. Suddenly she started to feel dizzy and she put a hand to her temples, massaging the area that began to ache. 

A light tap on the shoulder man Luna jerk her head up quickly, Still in a state of surprise, a tall man dressed in a black fancy suit stood before her. His mouth was firm. Eyebrows knotted. There seemed to be no inkling of positivity in him. His intimidating demeanor did not frighten Luna though. She was just curious now. "Yes?" She looked him up and down. Smiling while she did. The man didn't say anything as he suddenly grabbed Luna by the elbow and practically shoved her outside the cafe into a white van. What the fuck? She thought to herself as she kicked and screamed against the man's tight grip on her. When Luna was carelessly pushed into the van, she thought she was getting kidnapped. But the man from before didn't bother to tie her up. Or duct tape her mouth. Isn't that what kidnappers usually do when they abduct someone? Where were they taking her? The man from before slid her door shut before getting into the drivers seat. He did this very quickly. Like he was running out of time. Maybe that's why he looked so tense in the cafe earlier. "Uh, excuse me-" 

"Please, madam. Be quiet." 

Luna had raised a finger in the air, but now she slowly put it down back into her lap feeling dumbstruck. What the fuck was happening? Why was he being... nice? He even said please. This is crazy. As the car sped off, she started to realize that she left her wallet on the coffee table.

"But I-"

"You what, madam?" 

"I left my wallet at the cafe..." 

The wheels screeched as the car stopped at a red traffic light. The man took his eyes off the road and gave Luna a sinister look through the rearview mirror. "Oh, you won't be needing that anymore." He continued to drive and didn't speak another word. Luna didn't either. He didn't seem like a bad guy, actually. Just a really serious guy. Luna couldn't help but think that he needs to lighten up. Finally after another fifteen minutes of driving, the man reached his destination. He didn't say anything else to Luna as he turned off the engine before hopping out. Luna opened her door, oblivious to the large front yard with the fountain. She followed where the man was going and almost collapsed. A luxury estate stood tall in front of her, bright lights giving way for the staircase to the entrance. "Keep up, madam. He's been waiting to see you." Luna was still at the bottom of the staircase when he stood at the door. Her mouth was wide open, saliva threatening to slide out. When she heard the man's voice she snapped back into reality and gave a frantic nod. "Ok-ay," she said as her voice cracked. She had no idea what was going to happen in the coming days, but somehow she knew that she was in a safe place. Inside, the warm yellow lights illuminated the house. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. The cost of it must have been more than her rent per month. She was embarassed that her dusty sneakers were probably staining the marble tiles. She looked down at her shoes and continued to talk until she suddenly walked into a wall. When she looked up, her cheeks went bright red. It wasn't a wall. It was the man's extremely rigid back. 

"He's inside," he said in a stern manner. There was a white double door to the left of the house, right before another long staircase to the second floor. Luna was given no other warning. She watched the man's back turn away from her until he was out of sight. Luna tried to let go of any inhibitions as she slowly pushed the double doors open...

The luxury estate she was in, no doubt was probably more than a few million. So it was no surprise that the home office was granduer as well. Luna was totally into it. But she didn't want to just stand and admire everything around her. She cautiously stepped forward and looked up. There was a man sitting in the leather swivel chair behind the expensive oak desk. He turned around dramatically. Not even looking up at her, he shuffled some papers and did a little tidy of his desk. Then he took his glasses off. "Take a seat, Luna." She inwardly gasped, doing as she was told. "My name... how did you-.." He waved a dismissive hand in the air and leaned back. He looked at her for the first time, assessing her appearance since he last saw her ten years ago. Her hair was still just as he remembered. Long. Soft. Her eyes a dark brown. Eyes that held a dark past. There was a story behind those eyes. One that she probably can't remember now. Figures. "How old are you now?" His voice was less tense now, a little sentimental even. "Twenty one. Wait... why? Why are you asking me this? Where am I?" She was worried. Her face said it all. The man shook his head and frowned slightly. "I'm sorry... about the way Derrick handled you at the cafe earlier. He is like that. He's just... very serious on the job." Luna was still confused, but gave a nod as a signal that she was listening to what this man in front of her was saying. She looked back at him and for the first time noticed how tired he appeared. Bags under his eyes showing lack of sleep. His face was starting to sag probably from all the stress. 

Luna shook her head. Why was she checking out this old man for? She silently prayed that he wasn't going to do any harm on her. "I'm not here to hurt you." It's almost as if he read her mind. She felt extremely self conscious. As if her every move and every twitch in her body was being watched. "Then why am I here?" She softly whispered. It was a cry for clarity. She just wanted to know why out of all the people in the world, she was chosen to come here. The man knew he couldn't hide any secrets from her anymore. She was here now. His own flesh and blood. "We're related, Luna." She almost fell out of her chair as he said those words. She never really cried until now. Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes. How could this be? Luna thought all her relatives died and that she was on her own. She was sure of it. Did her mother lie to her about the many deaths of her relatives? "...What are you to me?" Luna swallowed, trying to hold back to the tears. She didn't want to get her hopes up. What if this was a mistake and he kidnapped the wrong girl? To be fair, there was quite a lot of girls that had the same features as her. Her plump lips, slender body and well kept hair. The man was more than sure though. "I'm your grandfather. You don't remember... but when you were twelve, after your dad died, your mum who is my daughter went into depressive mode and started using drugs. It wasn't safe for you. Maybe that is why now you live with trauma, sì?" He looked up at her for approval. Luna didn't say anything. She was speechless. 

The man continued. "Anyway, you moved from foster home to foster home. I guess you just couldn't take it anymore and you ran away. You've been homeless for a while, haven't you?" There were so many questions running in her mind, but it's like her mouth was taped shut by fear. Luna needed time to think everything through. To process what the fuck just happened. "A little over a year now, yeah," she managed to say after a while. "Well that's about to change. You're a grown woman now and you deserve a better future. Your mother... Madeline... I tried to stop her. But she wouldn't listen. I was always watching you, Luna. Someone always had eyes on you. Forgive me, that only now you're meeting me." The kind of reaction he was expecting was not the one he got. Anger boiled within Luna's veins. She stood up firmly. Looked him straight in the eye. And this time she didn't hold back any tears. "You fucking knew me all this time?" She snapped.  "You knew that I was out on the streets, you knew about me moving in all those foster homes yet you never once bothered to help? Oh I can't fucking believe you! You think I'm going to be grateful after you pick me up off the streets now that I'm a grown woman. How about my fucking childhood?! You can't fix me anymore. You never will. I'm sick of being passed around. Sorry 'grandfather', but whatever plan you have for me I don't want any involvement in it. This... this was a mistake." Her breathing grew rapid. It looked like he was going to say another word but Luna was already storming out of his office. "Don't bother. I'm a lost case anyway." she furiously snapped. On the way out of the mansion, she passed by Derrick. He saw her state and raised an eyebrow. Luna was confused. He didn't seem to look mad. Just disappointed. He didn't even try to stop her from walking out the door. 

Because he knew. That Luna would come back eventually. 

Out the door she went, thinking she'd never come back again. Boy, was she wrong. Luna didn't realize how hard it was gonna be to survive by herself out on the streets. It was simply way too dangerous. Derrick knew that, and that's why he didn't stop her. Once she came down from the staircase that descended from the entrance door of the estate, she looked left and right, unsure of where to go. She forgot to ask Derrick for directions. Shit. Left? Right? Luna bit the bottom of her lip and decided to just go left. That's where the car was coming from right? She started walking. A few minutes had gone by and she noticed that was still in the vicinity of the estate. She hadn't even exited the gates yet! Bloody hell, how many acres of land did they own? After discovering that she had a grandfather that was apparently insanely rich, she felt numb to it all. Luna just continued to walk. And if the day couldn't get any better, it started to suddenly pour down rain. "Shit," she hissed at herself. Luna hugged her arms closer to her chest and deeply regretted the fact that she was only wearing a thin blazer over a white singlet and denim shorts to match. She didn't know where she was going. She was cold. Tired. Hungry. And most of all, still angry. Of course she was happy to know that she still had someone related to her alive. She just couldn't process the pain of it all. Why now? She couldve had a memorable childhood with her grandfather. It hurt to even think about. Her eyes were growing restless. And before she knew it, Luna collapsed on the ground from exhaustion and dehydration. 

No one found her until about an hour later. It was Derrick. He shouted out from the top of his lungs to his men. "She's here! I need home help." A few men rushed over to Derrick followed by a few mutters of "yes boss". Derrick was able to lift Luna up on his own. He put her body over his shoulder and started fast walking to the house. He could tell she was completely malnourished and she needed immediate help. Luna's grandfather was already there at the entrance waiting for her. Derrick could see that he was deeply concerned for her wellbeing. He had that look in his eyes that Derrick never seen for a long time. Not since his wife died. Poor thing. That's why Derrick never accepted any other jobs even if they held more prestige. He was a loyal man to Don Tindilini. He would be his personal guard and assistant forever. "She's lost alot of energy. Should we bring Dr. Middleton?" The grandfather assessed the situation. "No. That won't be necessary. She just needs a lot of rest. Uh.. Maria take her to the guest suite please?" A short petite lady emerged from the kitchen as her tight curls bounced when she nodded her head. "Of course, Tindilini." Derrick nodded towards Maria as a greeting gesture. They both have been working together for years. They were all practically family now. Maria knew that Derrick was very serious on his job. But it was a good thing. It meant that safety had never been an issue in this big old house. You'd think after so many years of inheriting it that someone would think about breaking into it already. 

When Luna woke up from her terrible faint earlier, it took her a few minutes to reorient herself in space and time. She wasn't surprised to be back in the estate. She knew that somehow she wouldn't be able to make it outside the gates. Her grandfather sat on a chair beside the window. His eyes were focused on a random tree branch that was on the verge of falling off its respective tree. When he noticed movement from the bed, he walked over to her. A small smile plastered his face. "How are you feeling, dear?" Luna tried to move, but when she did it hurt. A slight whimper escaped her lips and the grandfather instantly knew that she was not fit enough to go out into the world. "You need to rest. Your body has been neglected of proper care. Maria is the caretaker of the house here. She will frequently check up on you. Theres a walk-in bathroom. Clothes in the walk-in closet. Everything you need is at your disposal." Luna looked up into her grandfather's eyes and saw how genuinely worried he was for her. She suddenly felt sorry for how she reacted at the start. It hurt to speak, but she forced the words out of her mouth. "About earlier-"

"Don't worry about that now. It's the past. Let's focus on you getting better, okay? Now I best be going. I have some business matters to attend to. I'll visit later. Be well soon dear."

Just as he began to walk out the door, Luna interrupted his thoughts again. "I just... want to say thank you. For everything." She wiggled her feet under the blanket as she shyly looked down. "You're my granddaughter. What's mine is yours." Without another word, he walked out and Maria replaced his spot. She stood at the door, happy as ever. "You're awake! Well that's perfect. You must be hungry. Let's get you something to eat. What would you like, madam? Pancakes? Sausage and eggs? Pizza? A salad? Anything you want." It was going to take a while to get used to this. Luna had never been taken care like this before. Even the foster parents she had before never treated her like this. Luna found Maria to be a very bubbly person which was very surprising. This big house seemed so empty and dull... She wondered how Maria handled it all, being around so many serious people. Luna smiled for the first time. Maria's smile was infectious. 

"Just a warm cup of coffee, please."

There was an enthusiastic nod from Maria and she quickly went out to fetch the kettle. As Luna leaned back into the warmth of the bed, she suddenly began to think back to her past. If only her mother was still alive... if only she had gotten help about her drug addictions. Another tear threatened to drop from her eye. But she stopped it with a sniffle. Everything happens for a reason, right? 

Maybe this time... Luna would get a real shot at life.