When the Hidden Luna Rises novel Chapter 15

**Chained by Fate**
**Eliza Rowan**
**Chapter 15**

Kelsey was jolted awake, her heart thundering in her chest like a war drum. The sound of her own heartbeat echoed in her ears, a frantic reminder of the turmoil that had enveloped her life.

From below, Ryan’s voice pierced through the haze of her dreams, a low murmur that quickly escalated into a desperate plea. “Kelsey, I was wrong, I’m sorry, can you ever forgive me?” His words were laced with urgency, each repetition tinged with a frantic remorse that tugged at her heart.

“Please, Kelsey…” he implored again, his tone raw with emotion.

“Ryan, have you lost your mind?!” she snapped, her teeth clenched in frustration. Without a second thought, she propelled herself downstairs, her heart racing not just from sleep but from the weight of their shared history.

As soon as she stepped outside, Ryan’s gaze locked onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. His eyes blazed like embers, igniting a flicker of hope that she had buried deep within herself.

“Kelsey, let me explain,” he urged, his voice trembling with a mix of desperation and determination.

But before he could elaborate further, she seized his arm, yanking him towards the back of the building. The heavy warehouse door slammed shut behind them with a resounding bang, the sound reverberating through the air that was thick with the scent of rust and neglect.

Kelsey, her expression a mask of icy resolve, narrowed her eyes at him. “Ryan, have you completely lost it?” The words dripped with disbelief, each syllable a reminder of the pain he had caused her.

In an unexpected move, he reached out, pulling her into a fierce embrace that felt almost suffocating. The warmth of his body wrapped around her, a stark contrast to the chill that had settled in her heart. “Kelsey, baby,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and trembling.

How long had it been since she had heard him call her that? The term of endearment sent a rush of memories flooding back, memories of a time when their love felt unbreakable.

In their power struggle, he had worn a mask, concealing every flicker of emotion. He had cast her into the shadows, forcing her to endure a living hell, where even the simplest expressions of love had to be hidden away.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. “Kelsey, I didn’t know they would arrest you. It was those new Gammas; they didn’t know any better. They thought you were stealing.”

The pain in his eyes was palpable, a raw honesty that made her heart ache.

“I looked into it later. You were beaten in the detention center on the orders of the Mitchell family. I’ve dealt with those people. They’ll be kneeling and begging for your forgiveness.” His tone dropped to a low, almost reverent whisper, as if he were making a sacred vow.

“I swear, I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

Kelsey felt her fingertips tremble slightly, an involuntary reaction to his words. In that moment, her heart twisted painfully, caught between the remnants of love and the weight of betrayal.

But as long as he stood before her, the memories of her nightmare loomed large, a dark shadow she dared not revisit.

“Ryan…” she said, her voice unnaturally calm, as if she were speaking from a great distance. “What’s the point of saying all this now? I endured for you all those years, suffered every humiliation, just for the day you might finally see me. But I was wrong.”

She lifted her chin defiantly, the tears in her eyes shimmering with a bitter mockery.

“You made me believe that loving you enough would earn the same in return. But you never wanted me at your side. You just needed a convenient shadow, an obedient little ghost to keep in the dark.”

Ryan’s expression shifted, his pupils contracting slightly as if her words had struck him like a physical blow.

“Kelsey, I never used you as a tool, I…”

“Shut up!” Her voice sliced through the air, sharp and unforgiving.

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