Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 218

Chapter 218

ANDY

“He’s probably too busy enjoying his new family to think about old friends,” I said sadly, shaking my head with mock sympathy for

him, knowing how dejected he must be feeling now hearing some cruel words from my mouth.

“Too happy with his twin brother and loving parents to spare a thought for the boy he left behind to rot in this basement.”

Lake’s breathing became more rapid, and I could see tears beginning to gather in his eyes as he kept batting it back, willing himself

not to cry in front of me. Perfect. The emotional pain would make him more receptive to suggestion, more willing to do what I needed

him to do.

“But here’s the thing, Lake,” I said, leaning close enough that he could feel my breath on his face, I waited for a moment watching his

face as he stared at me with a scared look on his face. I looked at the wall behind him and continued speaking.

“You could have your revenge. You could make Riley pay for abandoning you, make his precious new family suffer the way you’ve

suffered.”

I straightened up and began pacing around the table, my hands trailing along the restraints that held Lake in place.

“All you have to do is one simple task for me,” I continued. “There’s a man named Xenois – he’s Riley’s new daddy, the one whos given

Riley everything he never gave you. I need you to kill him.”

Lake’s eyes went wide with shock and fear. Despite everything I’d done to break his spirit, he still had enough morals in him left to be

horrified by the idea of murder.

‘I won’t do it,” he whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse and terror as he shook his head quickly and added. “I won’t kill anyone.”

I smiled at his defiance, amused by the spark of resistance that was still present in his broken spirit. Oh, but you will,” I said

confidently. “Because I’m not asking, Lake. I’m telling you.”

The boy struggled against his restraints, his thin wrists chafing against the metal cuffs that held him to the table as he started

yelling loudly. “I won’t! You can’t make me!”

His rebellion was adorable, although it was futile. I’d been perfecting my control techniques for years, using both Lake and Riley as test subjects for magical compulsions that could override free will and moral inhibitions.

Lake had been exposed to these experiments longer than anyone, his mind and soul scarred by repeated invasions of his autonomy.

“Xenois will be on guard against me,” I explained patiently, as if teaching a particularly slow student. He obviously needed to understand what he was supposed to do.

“He knows I’m dangerous, knows to watch for magical attacks and supernatural threats. But against a helpless child? A scared,

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Chapter 218

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obviously abused little boy who appears to be in distress? He won’t be able to hurt you. His protective instincts will make him vulnerable, and that vulnerability will be his doom.”

The beauty of the plan was in its simplicity. Xenois’s greatest strength – his fierce protectiveness toward children – would become the weapon I used to destroy him. He would see Lake and see another Riley, another abused child who needed rescue and protection. That moment of compassion would give Lake the opening he needed to strike.

“You’re the perfect bait,” I continued, running my fingers through Lake’s matted hair with mock affection.

“Small, obviously traumatized, completely unthreatening. He’ll never see the attack coming until it’s too late.”

“I won’t do it,” Lake repeated, but I could hear the uncertainty creeping into his voice. He’d learned over the years that resistance only brought more pain, and his resolve was already beginning to crack under the weight of my expectations.

I laughed at his continued defiance, the sound echoing off the stone walls of my laboratory. “The time hasn’t come yet anyway,” I said, stepping back from the table. “I need to get my plan in order first, make sure all the pieces are in position before we begin the real

fun.”

But I wanted Lake to understand exactly what was at stake, and wanted him to spend the next few hours contemplating the consequences of disobedience.

“Do you remember the game we used to play when Riley was still here?” I asked, my voice dropping so low that somehow managed to be more terrifying than any shout.

“That lovely little game where I use my powers on you and you try to keep quiet for as long as possible without screaming or begging

me to stop?

Lake’s breathing became rapid and shallow, his entire body trembling with remembered agony. The “game” had been one of my favorite methods of breaking down their psychological defenses, a systematic torture disguised as entertainment that had left both boys with scars that would never fully heal.

“We had such fabulous times, didn’t we?” I continued, savoring the fear that rolled off Lake in waves. “You and Riley, taking turns, seeing who could last longer before breaking. Such dedicated little players.”

The memory of those sessions filled me with warm nostalgia. There had been something pure about their terror, something honest about their pain that was lacking in most of my adult subjects. Children had such vivid emotional responses to suffering, such raw authenticity in their agony.

Lake was breathing heavily now, his body flinching away from me even though I hadn’t touched him yet. The anticipation of pain was almost as effective as the pain itself when it came to controlling behavior.

But I wasn’t ready to begin the real work yet. There were too many variables to consider, too many moving pieces to coordinate before I could implement my revenge properly.

Jnting a more reasonable tone, “I promise I’ll take very good care of you afterward. No more

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Chapter 218

experiments, no more games. Just a comfortable life where you’ll never have to worry about pain or fear again.”

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It was a lie, of course. Lake had seen too much, knew too many of my secrets to ever be allowed to live freely. But the false hope

would motivate him to cooperate, would make him more effective as a weapon against the Blackwood family.

The perfect revenge required perfect tools, and Lake was about to become the sharpest blade in my arsenal.

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15:06 Wed, Jan 28 M…

Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart