Abandoned Luna: Now Untouchable-Chapter 365 Soup and Suspicion

Cecilia ’s pov

I watched Harper.

"Don’t flatter yourself," I muttered. "One of them already had you crying."

Before Harper could bounce back, Sebastian walked out of the kitchen with the last dish in hand. His eyes locked onto mine the second he stepped into the room, and he took the seat right across from me.

With practiced ease, he ladled steaming soup into my bowl.

"Here. Try it," he said, calm but firm.

I took a slow sip, letting the warmth settle on my tongue.

The flavor was perfect.

"It’s really good," I admitted.

Sebastian didn’t look away, watching my reaction like it actually mattered.

"I got the recipe. I can make it for you whenever you want."

I didn’t answer.

I just kept sipping the soup, but something warm spread in my chest.

Author ’s pov

Back at Martha’s estate, Cassian and Zane sat across from each other at the dining table.

The air between them felt heavy, like it might crack if either of them breathed too hard.

Zane spoke first, voice tight and measured.

"Jessica’s dad just called. Jessica ended up in the ER. Food poisoning. From that honey butter cake."

Cassian chewed slowly and swallowed before replying.

"And what’s the excuse this time ?"

Zane shifted in his seat.

"He didn’t say much. But I think it might’ve been a kitchen mix-up. Both Jessica and Martha got sick after eating cake.

Someone brought wild mushrooms from the mountains. They used some for lunch and left the rest near the flour. It’s possible some accidentally got into the mix."

Cassian gave a humorless laugh.

"Just say it was an accident and stop dressing it up like a crime novel."

Zane went quiet, lips tightening.

Cassian took a sip of water, his gaze sharp.

"Tell me something, Uncle Zane. How long are you planning to keep pretending you don’t see what’s going on ?"

Zane’s face darkened. He slammed his fork down.

"Watch your tone. I’m still your uncle."

Cassian tossed his own fork onto the table with a clatter.

He leaned back, eyes tired but steady. "You’ve been pretending for years. That you didn’t lose your wife. That your children just... disappeared. That your mother wasn’t almost killed yesterday."

Zane’s face drained of color.

Cassian’s voice dropped, but the edge in it sharpened.

"Maybe I’m not your blood. Fine. I’ve made peace with that. But Martha is your mother. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, would she still be breathing right now ?"

"First it’s mushrooms in the flour. What next ? A snake in the soup pot ? Will that be another ‘accident’ too ?"

"Everything’s always an accident with you. You keep saying that until one day, the accident is you."

Cassian pushed his chair back and walked out without another word.

He usually didn’t waste energy fighting with Zane. There was no point yelling at someone who refused to wake up.

But this time, with Martha nearly dead, he couldn’t stay silent.

Zane sat frozen, staring after him.

His hands trembled as he slipped off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

--

As lunch wrapped up at Levi and Yulia’s place, Cassian appeared in the doorway without a word.

From across the room, Harper instinctively looked away, pretending she didn’t see him.

Cassian didn’t even glance her way. He walked outside, dropped into a chair, and lit a cigarette.

A scruffy little dog trotted over, and he picked it up without a second thought.

He sat there smoking and absently petting the dog, like nothing was wrong at all.

At the table, Cecilia leaned toward Sebastian, brow furrowed.

"What’s with him ?" she whispered.

Alpha Sebastian glanced at his friend through the open door. He knew that silence.

"Something’s eating at him," he said, already standing. "I’ll go check on him."

He dragged a second chair outside and dropped into it beside Cassian.

"Zane again ?" he asked, low and even.

Cassian didn’t answer right away. He flicked ash off the cigarette and stared ahead.

"If yelling worked, I’d scream at him every morning. But he’s committed to keeping his eyes shut."

Alpha Sebastian nodded. "He’s always been that way. Lives in his own little world."

Cassian let out a dry laugh.

"So what’s it going to take ? A body on the floor ? Blood on his hands ? What will finally make him move ?"

Alpha Sebastian leaned back, glancing down at the dog wagging its tail.

"Expecting change from Zane is like expecting that dog to recite Shakespeare. At least the dog shows emotion."

Cassian tried to laugh, but it came out rough. He choked a little on the smoke, prompting Alpha Sebastian to reach over and pat his back.

Then, for once, Cassian turned serious.

"If you were in my shoes... what would you do ?"

Alpha Sebastian didn’t hesitate. His answer came flat and firm.

"Nothing. If he wants to play dead, let him. As long as he’s not helping the enemy, I’d leave him alone. But if he’s both a coward and an accomplice..."

He paused, meeting Cassian’s eyes, "I’d help him finish what he started."

Cassian stared at him. "That’s cold. "

Alpha Sebastian shrugged.

"Getting emotional won’t change him. You think he’ll wake up because you care ? You planning to throw your life away for someone who won’t even look you in the eye ?"

Cassian let out a long breath.

"I’m not ready to die. Not for him." He looked at the burning cigarette in his fingers. "But I can’t pretend anymore. Not after this. If he insists on playing dead, I might as well hand him sleeping pills and let him really rest."

Alpha Sebastian glanced at his watch.

"We should head out soon. You stay here. Handle the cake mess. Watch over your grandmother."

Cassian nodded, took one last drag, and stubbed out the cigarette.

"Take care of Cecilia. Call if anything shifts," he said as he stood.

Harper stayed by the window, watching his back as he walked away, her feelings a mess.

She hadn’t meant to listen in, but Cassian’s silence had thrown her off.

He was usually all swagger and smart remarks. Seeing him that quiet ? It didn’t feel right.

She figured he’d light another cigarette and keep walking. But just as he reached the edge of the yard, he stopped.

Then he turned around and yelled back at the house, like he hadn’t just been brooding five minutes ago.

"Agent! Seriously ? You’re gonna hide every time I show up ? You’re breaking your commander’s heart. Next time, at least throw me a smile!"

Harper’s face dropped. Just like that, whatever sympathy she’d had fizzled out.

She sighed, annoyed at herself for even feeling bad for him.

Then Cassian turned around and walked off again, his mood already shifting back to that smug, unreadable version of himself.

Cassian’s voice echoed from the yard, and Harper didn’t even try to hide her groan.

She turned away from the window, face tight.

The room broke into laughter.

"Classic Cassian. Two seconds of depth, then right back to trolling."

"Honestly, the more you ignore him, the harder he pushes. That’s just his thing."

Harper dropped into her chair and stabbed her fork into her salad.

"He’s not charming. He’s just exhausting."

Sebastian leaned back, sipping his water with that infuriating calm.

"You sure ? Looked like you two were glued together last night."

Harper blinked, then whipped her head toward Cecilia.

"You’re seriously letting him say that ?"

Cecilia gave her a sympathetic look and gently patted her arm.

"He’s not exactly human. You can’t expect him to act normal."

That earned a few small laughs from the table. The tension broke just a little.