Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 354

Chapter 354 Give You Everything

LUNA

I immediately got out of the car. Abel stood beside the car, holding something small in his hand. When he extended it toward me, the sunlight caught on the silver metal.

A key.

My heart jumped to my throat.

“Catch,” he said simply.

Before I could even process, I caught it out of instinct. The key was cool in my palm, the edges biting softly into my skin. For a moment, I just stared at it, my chest rising and falling faster than I wanted it to. Then I turned toward the gate-the same black iron I remembered from years ago, before Queenie replaced it with that ridiculous gold monstrosity.

I swallowed hard and stepped closer, my hand trembling as I slid the key into the lock. It fit perfectly. I turned it slowly, and the soft click echoed louder than it should have. The gate opened.

I gasped.

The front yard looked… clean. The weeds were gone, the hedges trimmed. The scent of fresh paint and soil mixed in the air. The house looked exactly like it used to when my mother was still alive.

My steps felt unsteady as I made my way to the front door. The wood gleamed under the sunlight, newly varnished. I pressed my hand against it, feeling the faint grain of the surface beneath my fingers. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

I turned the knob and pushed.

The door opened with a soft creak.

The inside was almost unrecognizable-not because it was new, but because it felt… right. The walls were bare, painted a soft ivory that reminded me of calm mornings before school. The gaudy chandeliers Queenie had put up were gone, replaced by simple warm lights. The furniture had been cleared, leaving only a few essentials.

I walked farther inside, my shoes echoing faintly against the tiled floor.

Everywhere I looked, I saw ghosts of old memories. The staircase where I’d once sat crying

after losing a spelling bee. The hallway where Dad would chase me around, pretending to be a monster. The living room, where we’d put up our small Christmas tree every year.

Now it all looked peaceful again.

I moved

up the stairs slowly, my fingers grazing the railing. When I reached the door to my old room, I hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.

I took a shaky breath. “It’s really mine,” I whispered to myself.

I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned around, Abel was there, standing by the door, watching me quietly.

“You got this for me?”

He pressed his lips together, then looked to the side like he was suddenly shy. His usual confidence was gone for a second. “Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “Sandra helped me. That was what I had to talk to her about.”

“She’s well-connected here,” he continued in a careful tone. “She knows a lot of lawyers. Apparently, one of her staff overheard Queenie bragging-saying she concealed your father’s last will and testament.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

Abel nodded slightly. “Your father left everything to you. The house, the property… all of it. Sandra found out and made sure it was set right.” He glanced at me, then away again, scratching the back of his neck. “She said she owed me a favor anyway. I helped her once. Her husband, actually.”

“She has a husband?”

He gave a small laugh. “Yeah. A very alive one, thanks to me. So, yes,” he muttered. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Not that big of a deal?

I didn’t even think. My body moved before my brain caught up. I ran up to him and threw my arms around his neck. The force of it didn’t make him stumble, not even slightly.

My face pressed against his chest, and I could feel his heartbeat.

“Careful, angel,” he murmured. I pulled back just enough to look at him. He was smiling

faintly, but there was something tender in his eyes.

“Who could have thought,” I whispered, “that I’d meet someone who would take care of me like this?”

He didn’t say anything right away, but his gaze softened even more.

“Thank you,” I said again. “Thank you so much.”

He pressed his lips together. “You’re welcome,” he said simply.

I hugged him again, tighter this time. We stayed like that for a while, no words, just the quiet sound of our breathing. I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to stay in that moment a little longer.

Then his voice rumbled against my ear.

“Do you want to go to the diner?”

I froze for a second, pulling back just enough to look at him. “Huh?”

He smirked slightly. It took me a moment to catch on-but when I did, my eyes widened, my lips parting in disbelief.

He couldn’t mean that, right?

However, one look at his face told me he did.

We rode the car there, and I was getting giddy-so much that I could feel the bounce in my knees. I glanced at Abel from the passenger seat, and he looked unfairly good.

Honestly, I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I bit my lip as I looked at him again. His hands on the steering wheel, the veins on his forearms, the subtle smirk when he noticed me looking-

Okay. I wanted to jump him.

Whoa, too much. Calm down, Luna.

Just then, my phone started ringing, pulling me out of my daydream. Marcel’s name flashed across the screen, and I instantly remembered-I still had to meet her.

I quickly swiped to answer. “Hey!” I said, trying to sound normal, though my voice was still a bit breathless. “Sorry, Marcel. I might be a little late.”

“No, no,” she said, her voice cheerful and teasing as always. “Actually, let’s not meet at the cafe

anymore.”

“Huh? Why?” I asked, frowning a little.

“Let’s meet at the diner instead,” she said, sounding way too excited.

“The diner?” I repeated. “Why there?”

“I’m actually on my way there,” I added quietly.

“I know,” she said, laughing again. “I’m excited to see you!” Then she added, mischievously, “Oh, and tell Hot Alpha Daddy that he’s the best.”

I froze.

Abel didn’t say anything, but I could feel his gaze shift toward me.

“Marcel, quiet down!” I whispered, trying not to die of embarrassment.

“What?” she said innocently. “It’s not like he’ll hear.”

Internally, I wanted to bury myself in the seat. He absolutely could hear.

I forced a laugh. “I’ll see you later,” I said quickly and hung up before she could make things

worse.

The silence that followed was almost unbearable.

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