Abandoned Luna: Now Untouchable-Chapter 374 Bait

Author ’s pov

The shrill ring of Daisy’s phone cut through the silence, echoing through the bedroom like a warning siren.

She froze, the screen glowing in her palm, her thumb hovering above the answer button as if a ghost were on the other end.

Alpha Sebastian’s voice sliced through the tension, cold and direct. "Who is it ?"

He didn’t bother softening his tone.

Without waiting, he crossed the room and glanced down at the screen before she could hide it.

The missing butler was calling.

"Give it to me. I’ll answer," Alpha Sebastian said, already reaching for the phone.

"No!"

Daisy jerked back instinctively, clutching the phone to her chest.

She realized, too late, that her defensiveness had only made things worse.

Trying to recover, she took a sharp breath and forced her voice into something calmer.

"I’ll... I’ll do it. Just let me."

She turned away and paced a few anxious steps, then swiped to answer.

Before the butler could speak, Daisy exploded.

"What the hell are you playing at ? Where’s Cecilia ? You want money, is that it ?"

A long, battered silence filled the line.

When the butler finally spoke, his voice was rough and strained.

"A million. Cash."

Daisy’s hand trembled, but her voice snapped into focus.

"You really have her ?"

Two beats. Then: "Yes."

Money meant nothing to people like them.

It was just another bargaining chip.

"You want cash ? Fine. Bring her back, walk away clean, and I won’t say a word about what you’ve done."

Her voice turned cold, almost businesslike. Nothing like the sweet tone she usually used.

There was a pause.

The butler spoke again, voice lower now, rough and careful.

"Not on the phone. I don’t trust you. Bring the money. Come alone. You’ll pay to get them back. I’ll call you with the location."

"You want me to come in person ?" Daisy asked, her voice tight.

"Bring the money. I’ll tell you where to go."

The call ended. Just like that.

"Wait! Don’t you dare hang up!" she shouted.

She stared at the screen, her knuckles white. Then she swore—loud, raw, nothing like her usual self.

The anger hit fast, cracking right through her polished mask.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, hot and sudden.

She looked up and met Alpha Sebastian’s eyes.

Guilt and fear were written all over her face.

She didn’t say a word.

She didn’t have to.

He and Beta Sawyer had heard everything. The call had been loud enough.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, pressing a hand to her mouth like the words tasted bitter.

Beta Sawyer frowned, his mind racing.

"He said ‘pay to get them back.’ You think Harper’s with him too ?"

Alpha Sebastian’s face remained still, but the tension rolling off him changed the temperature in the room.

"We don’t rule anything out," he said, voice flat and final.

Daisy’s voice wavered. "Should I do what he says ?"

Alpha Sebastian didn’t hesitate. "When he calls back, say yes. We’ll follow. You won’t be alone. You’ll be safe."

She nodded quickly, too relieved to speak.

Her eyes flicked toward the door.

"I’ll... go get the money together."

She hurried out, barely noticing the way Alpha Sebastian’s eyes followed her.

Something unreadable flickered behind the cold steel of his gaze.

--

In the quiet of her bedroom, Daisy peeled off her panic like an old coat.

She replaced it with something colder. Sharper.

With a sigh, she dialed the butler’s number herself.

"Didn’t I tell you never to call me again ? Just get rid of her already."

"My apologies, Mrs. Daisy," the butler rasped. "Thought you’d want to hear the good news.

Picked up another one on the way, too."

She rolled her eyes. "I don’t need updates. Your call almost blew my cover. You have any idea how close you came to ruining this ?"

"I thought you were still with Miss Riley. What now ?"

Daisy’s voice went flat and cold.

"Simple. Stick to the plan. Now listen carefully..."

She laid out instructions, every word clipped and controlled.

When she hung up, she poured herself a glass of water.

She couldn’t hide the quiet smile. It said everything.

Sometimes, things just worked out better than you planned.

Cecilia was always a mess when it came to Harper. And now, she’d walked straight into the trap.

Perfect.

Composed again, Daisy changed into a clean outfit.

From her safe, she took a stack of crisp bills and a shimmering set of jewelry.

Just before stepping out, she texted Maggie:

[No loose ends this time. I’ll wrap this up clean.]

--

Downstairs, the air was thick with tension.

Daisy dropped her phone on the coffee table, her posture perfect despite the pounding in her chest.

Alpha Sebastian sat across from her, all quiet control and coiled aggression, while Beta Sawyer paced behind him in tight, anxious circles.

They waited under the cold glow of the midnight hour, time dragging with every beat of silence, until the phone rang again.

Right as the clock struck twelve, the call came.

"Mrs. Daisy. Bring the money to Lucky Bowl, east side. Call me when you get there. And come alone. Got it ?"

Her voice was tense, but she kept it steady.

"Okay. Just don’t hurt Cecilia and Harper. I have the money."

The call ended with a flat click.

Daisy stared at the screen, her face even paler than before.

"Sebastian, let me do this alone. Please."

"Absolutely not."

His reply was firm, centuries of Alpha instinct behind it.

"Cecilia’s my responsibility now. And your safety matters too."

Daisy blinked, surprised by the intensity in his voice.

He added, quieter but even more final,

"If something happens to you, Riley loses her mother. Your famil would never forgive me."

She couldn’t argue with that. She just nodded.

Alpha Sebastian jerked his chin toward Beta Sawyer, who grabbed a plain black duffel from the couch.

Daisy moved for the door, legs shaky, eyes strangely bright.

Somewhere between her hidden agenda and Alpha Sebastian’s protection, she found a strange kind of comfort. Maybe because the chaos gave her cover.

Outside, her spotless white Range Rover looked out of place against the sleeping suburb.

She climbed in and pulled away, the duffel bag resting on the passenger seat.

Alpha Sebastian kept a block back, headlights off, blending into the dark.

Neat houses gave way to broken sidewalks and graffiti-covered walls.

By the time they reached the Lucky Bowl, the street was buzzing.

Old neon signs flickered above cracked sidewalks.

Vendors still sold hot dogs from carts.

Teenagers laughed too loudly, their bottles clinking as they lounged on stoops.

Motorcycles roared by like wolves on the hunt.

Daisy’s SUV rolled to a stop in front of the restaurant.

The door was plastered with faded takeout flyers.

She stepped out, heels clicking on broken pavement, her diamond necklace catching the neon like a dare.

A group of teens saw her immediately.

A few crude comments.

Two blocked her path. One lunged for the bag. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Daisy dropped the act. She turned and ran.

She sprinted back to her car and jumped in.

Her tires screeched as she slammed the gas pedal.

But they were ready.

Three of them jumped into a beat-up pickup. The headlights snapped on.

The chase that followed was fast, loud, and chaotic.

The old city wasn’t made for clean escapes.

Traffic jammed.

Cars doubled up at red lights.

Reckless drivers cut across lanes.

Alpha Sebastian’s SUV, still running dark, got wedged at a busy intersection as another group of cars boxed him in.

By the time he got through, Daisy’s white Range Rover was already wrecked.

It had slammed into a dead tree near the curb.

Smoke poured from the front.

The airbags were out, hanging like white flags.

The black duffel was still there on the passenger seat.

Her phone was there too.

But Daisy was gone.