Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237

RILEY

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I sat in the therapist’s chair, my fingers were silently drumming against my leg as Dr. Sloane continued asking questions that felt like

they were coming from very far away, like I was in a haze, and nothing seemed real to me. My mind wasn’t really in the room anymore – it

kept drifting to the window, to the sounds outside, to a feeling in my chest that something wasn’t right, I had been feeling very odd since

this morning and now the feeling only got more time worse than usual.

“Riley, can you tell me about a typical day with Sophia?” Dr. Sloane was saying, but her voice sounded muffled, like I was hearing it

through water, I sook my head slowly to see if I could get rid of that muffled noise, but it only seemed to get louder.

I gave her some vague answer about the magical lessons that we had and her teachings about me being good because it made her happy, the kind of response that usually made adults stop asking questions to me. But my attention was focused on the window, on the

courtyard below where I’d been watching people move around all morning.

There had been an ice cream truck earlier. The same one from the day that Ollie had bought ice cream and the an refused to get paid before driving like he was being chased by something scary.. I’d noticed it because the music was the same tune, and something about

seeing it had made my stomach feel tight and wrong.

Now I couldn’t see the truck from this angle, but I knew it was still there somewhere, waiting, just like it did that day. And that feeling in my chest was getting stronger, like when Mama Sophia used to tell me to be extra quiet because important business was happening and people didn’t like fussy children who couldn’t behave. Obviously I learned how to stay quiet after spending an entire night out in the snow without proper clothes and Mama Sophia kept crying saying that because of her, she lost some business and I felt really

bad and hated myself for misbehaving.

“Riley?” Dr. Sloane said again, and I realized she’d been trying to get my attention.

“Sorry,” I said automatically. “I was listening.”

But I wasn’t really listening. I was thinking about the truck, about why it would be here at the hospital, or if I was being paranoid

about some minor things.

Ollie was answering questions now, talking about how he felt about me living with them, about how he wished I would play with him more. His voice was honest and open in a way that mine never was with strangers. He trusted Dr. Sloane already, trusted Mama Lumina,

trusted everyone.

I wished I could be like that. But Mama Sophia had taught me that trust was something you earned through perfect behavior, and strangers were dangerous until proven otherwise.

The window caught my attention again. From this angle, I could see part of the parking lot, and there was the ice cream truck. It was parked in a spot where it had a clear view of the hospital entrance, but far enough away that security probably wouldn’t think twice about

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Chapter 237

My heart started beating faster. Ice cream trucks were supposed to move around, playing music to attract children. They weren’t supposed to sit still and watch buildings.

“Are you expecting anyone to come get you today, Riley?” Dr. Sloane asked suddenly, and the question made me freeze.

“What do you mean?” I asked carefully.

“You keep looking out the window like you’re waiting for someone.”

I forced myself to look at her instead of the glass. “I’m not waiting for anyone.”

But even as I said it, I wondered if that was true. Part of me was always waiting for Mama Sophia to come back, to explain where

she’d gone and when she’d return. Maybe she’d sent someone to get me. Maybe the people in the truck were here to take me home.

Except… something felt wrong about that idea, When Mama Sophia sent people to do things, they were usually very quiet and careful

about it. They didn’t park obvious ice cream trucks where everyone could see them.

I looked out the window again, squinting to see if I could make out any details about the people near the truck. There were at least three figures moving around it, and they were dressed in dark clothes that didn’t look right for ice cream vendors.

One of them turned toward the building, and even from this distance, I recognized the shape of his face. It was Bullet, I remembered him that day from the cliff, although I never thought I would see him again. What was he doing here?

My blood turned to ice water in my veins. These weren’t people Mama Sophia had sent to bring me home. These were hired

mercenaries and they were here for a very different reason.

Mama Sophia didn’t send Bullet for pickup jobs. She sent him when people needed to disappear permanently.

“I need to use the bathroom,” I said suddenly, standing up from my chair.

“Of course,” Dr. Sloane said kindly. “It’s just down the hall—”

“Actually, I interrupted, moving toward the small balcony door instead, “could I get some fresh air first? I feel a little sick.”

Before she could answer, I was already opening the door and stepping onto the balcony. It wasn’t very high up – maybe twelve feet from the ground – and there was a large canvas awning stretched over the courtyard below that would break a fall.

Ollie had followed me outside. “Riley, what’s wrong? You look scared.”

I was scared. Terrified, actually. But I also knew that if Bullet and his team made it up to this office, neither Ollie nor I would be walking out alive. Mama Sophia would never send Bullet after me, she preferred taking care of me herself, which meant someone else had decided I was more trouble than I was worth, and she never left loose ends. Aunty Andy was repaying back the favour of me helping Alpha Zade and the other person with that cure.

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Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart