Counterback of the Despised Luna by Diana West

Chapter 130 Still Alive Caden's POV: Finished At 100,000 feet, Rosaline sat beside me, her eyes tracing the endless layers of clouds outside the window. Her gaze was distant, thoughtful.

"What's on your mind?" I asked quietly, glancing at her from the corner of my eye.

"Nothing," Rosaline answered, turning toward me. She gavea small smile before clearing her throat. “I was just wondering who would want to bring Eclipse Group down." "You'll find out when we get to Fostrau," I said with a slight grin. "Don't worry too much about it. Want something to drink? What do you feel like having?" She thought for a moment. "Orange juice, I think." I pressed the call button, summoning the flight attendant. "One orange juice, please." "Certainly, sir. Please hold on a moment,” the attendant replied with a polite smile before walking away.

Five minutes later, she returned, holding the drink. "Ms. Sinclair, here's your orange juice." "Thank you," Rosaline said, taking the juice. Just as she was about to take a sip, the plane lurched, descending rapidly.

"Ah!!" Rosaline's voice trembled as she gasped, startled.

The lights above flickered and went out, leaving the cabin in complete darkness.

Rosaline's POV: The sudden loss of weight made my whole body shudder, and the darkness felt like it was closing in on me. It was suffocating, a fear so deep it grippedtight.

Fragments of something flashed through my mind, hazy memories that didn't make sense.

It was like falling into an abyss, falling endlessly into the unknown. The darkness swallowedwhole.

The sensation was so vivid, so real, it felt like I had experienced it before.

I reached out instinctively, my hands grasping for something-anything-but found nothing.

The fear, the helplessness, crawled through my veins, spreading like wildfire.

"Help me... "I gasped, panic rising in my chest. My voice faltered, my face pale as the terror surged inside me.

Then, without warning, strong arms wrapped around me, pullingtightly against a solid chest.

It was Caden. His presence grounded me, his warmth slowly calming the panic in my heart.

"Rosaline, what's going on? Are you okay?" His voice was soft, filled with concern.

I clung to him, still shaken. My breath coming in quick, uneven gasps. “I'm so scared." 1/3 08:35 Mon, 17 Chapter 130 Still Alive 97%1 Finished "Don't worry, it's just a little turbulence," Caden said, his voice calm, a steady anchor in the chaos around us.

The plane soon settled, and the soft hum of the engines returned, along with the flickering of the overhead lights.

It was then that I realized-my arms were still tightly wrapped around him. My face burned with embarrassment, and I hastily pulled away. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, looking anywhere but at him. "I lost control for a second." Caden's gaze softened with concern, his eyes lingering onas he nodded. "It was just a little bump. Nothing to worry about." "I honestly thought I was going to die," I said, placing a hand over my chest. I could still feel the tremors of panic running through me. "That was... terrifying." "You don't strikeas someone who gets scared," Caden teased, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

I forced a breath deep into my lungs, steadying myself. "Well, you don't know everything. My biggest fears? The dark and heights. Combine them... and you get what just happened." Caden's hand found mine, his grip warm and firm, groundingin a way I hadn't expected. His eyes were full of understanding, yet there was a quiet strength there too. "You don't have to be scared when I'm here." The warmth of his hand spread through me, soothing the lingering panic. For a moment, I let myself simply be comforted.

Caden was something else. He wasn't just special-he was different.

In that moment, I found myself wishing he were the one destined for me.

But after everything I'd been through-illness, memory loss, and Freya's strange behavior-I couldn't help but wonder if the magic that once ledto my fated mate had vanished. Sometimes, it felt like it had faded into the past.

That uncertainty had keptfrom feeling anything for anyone else.

But with Caden... I couldn't deny that for the first time, I dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, he was the one.

If only Tessa weren't in the picture.

I sighed softly, pulling my hand away, keeping my face carefully neutral. "Thanks," I said, my voice a little quieter than usual.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Caden's eyes, but he didn't hide it.

He turned slightly, his voice low and serious. "Rosaline, are you sure you don't want to give this a chance? Us, I mean." The question caughtoff guard. I froze for a moment, scrambling to find the right words. "Caden," I said, my tone firm but soft. "Now isn't the tfor that. Don't you remember why we're going to Fostrau? Eclipse Group is in trouble. Do you really have tfor this right now?" Caden's smile remained, confident and unshaken. "Trouble? This? It's nothing." 2/3 08:35 Mon, Chapter 130 Still Alive I raised an eyebrow, not sure whether I should be reassured or frustrated. “Is it?" Finished I didn't think it was something catastrophic either, but finding out who was behind it would definitely take seffort.

The rest of the flight passed without incident. We didn't encounter any more turbulence, and the plane descended smoothly.

As we touched down, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Jones and Bruce were already waiting for us at the Fostrau airport.

Fostrau had always been a strategic hub for Eclipse Group. Its mild climate made it an ideal location for setting up factories, and it was known as the city of romance.

The Shadow Pack had many investments here too.

Loe Studio, one of my most treasured projects, was also based in Fostrau.

As soon as we stepped off the plane, Bruce approached, smiling. "Hey, Mr. Holbrook, Ms. Sinclair. Long tno see." "Hi, Bruce," I greeted him, smiling as I shook his hand.

"Mr. Holbrook," Jones said eagerly, addressing Caden. "We've located the located problem. At factory one in the raw materials warehouse, one of the batches was found to contain radioactive elements." "So, the raw materials are the issue?" Caden's eyes narrowed, his face hardening with focus.

"I'm sorry," Bruce said, his voice tinged with guilt. "This is on me. The issue cfrom the Fostrau plant, and my lady fashion line distributes the products made there." "Bruce, let's take a look and figure this out," Caden said, his voice firm with resolve.

"Mr. Holbrook, Ms. Sinclair, perhaps you'd like to rest up at the hotel m before we do Jones suggested, noticing my tired expression. "It's been a long flight." "No," I replied quickly, shaking my head. "We're going straight to factory one." I couldn't wait any longer. I was determined to find the truth.

206 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1