Page 126 of A Sinful Gravity

I held my breath, waiting.

After what felt like a century, a barely audible sigh came through the phone.

"Okay."

After hanging up, I leaned against the cold wall and let out a long breath.

I felt something hollow out inside me, but at the same time, the pressure I'd been carrying lifted.

Because I finally knew what I needed to do.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Luna

The air in the rehearsal hall felt like a vacuum.

I mechanically unwound the ribbons of my pointe shoes, circle by circle, my fingers bone-white from gripping too hard. The dull ache in my toes was nothing compared to the tightness in my chest that threatened to explode at any moment.

The light at the end of the hallway still glowed, casting my elongated shadow across the floor in pale white. I walked slowly out of the rehearsal hall. The night wind outside was cold, hitting my face hard enough to make me shiver.

Only a few cars remained in the parking lot. My white sedan sat alone in the corner.

I slid into the driver's seat but didn't start the engine. I just gripped the steering wheel, staring at my reflection in the windshield.

My eyes were still swollen, mascara long since smudged, two dried tear tracks carved across my cheeks. I wiped at my face in the rearview mirror. It wouldn't come clean. Those marks were etched into my skin.

When I got home, Laila was already asleep. Chloe sat in the living room, a cup of tea in her hands, untouched. When she saw me come through the door, she stood, worry etched in her eyes.

She handed me the tea and helped me sink onto the couch. "Luna..."

"Don't worry." I cut her off, staring blankly at the ceiling. "I just contacted Amy. We're leaving early."

Chloe said nothing, just pulled me into a gentle embrace. "I'm so sorry. That bastard acted like an out-of-control maniac."

I laughed bitterly. "I lied to him first. But I had no choice."

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to stand. "Chloe. I need to pack. I have to get Laila out of here."

Chloe nodded silently. "Okay. I'll help."

I started shoving things into the suitcase as fast as I could. Laila's picture books, the half-finished sweater I'd been knitting, my tour contract.

I fought to control my trembling fingers, terrified. Cassian—men like him never had "letting go" in their vocabulary.

Now that he knew about Laila, every second I feared he'd unleash that so-called "most expensive legal team in Washington" to sever the only connection between me and my daughter.

Halfway through packing, Chloe suddenly stopped and looked out the window.

"What's wrong?" My nerves pulled taut. Had Cassian come back? Was he here to take Laila?

"No, nothing." Chloe snapped back, giving me a reassuring smile. "I was just thinking. Does Laila need her blanket?"

I exhaled in relief. "No. I'll buy her a new one."

After everything was packed, it was past midnight. I couldn't sleep, so I sat in Laila's room watching her.

Laila must have had fun yesterday. Even in her dreams, she smiled sweetly.